Duane and Peggy Sandmeyer

Path takes turn, passion unleashed

In 1963, when Duane Sandmeyer graduated from high school with a scientific diploma he intended to go to university, major in physics and eventually solve some of the unknowns of the universe. In his words, “I considered that to be the greatest achievement anyone could accomplish”. However, he didn’t reach that goal and now hopes the Duane and Peggy Sandmeyer Scholarship will assist others to attain it. His wife Peggy states simply, “We want to help others with our scholarship fund. I think the subjects Duane has chosen are very worthy of our support."

Instead of unlocking the secrets of the universe, Duane took an electronics course in his hometown of Yakima, Washington and was bitten by the ham radio bug when a fellow student introduced him to the radio sport contesting part of the hobby. That was the catalyst which forced his career path to take a sharp turn into electronics and radio communications. Duane worked in a radio communications service shop in Yakima for three years and moved to Canada in 1968, living briefly in Prince George, BC and working at Motorola. He then moved to Woss on northern Vancouver Island where he established his own radio communications service shop and, later, a cable television station. He was the only electronics technician in that remote area and much in demand. His business, both radio communications and cable television, expanded into the Sayward Valley and he started building a home there in 1989.

In 1990, while visiting his parents in Sequim, Washington, he met Peggy. She had graduated from high school in 1971 with honours in English and had hoped to pursue a career in writing, classical piano, singing or some combination of all three. However, a near-fatal car accident in 1978 changed everything and it took many long years to partially rehabilitate her body and brain. After meeting Duane, she became involved in a two-year long distance courtship, finally marrying him in Campbell River in 1992. They first lived in Sayward where Peggy helped Duane finish the house he was building and supported him in all his other endeavours. Duane confirms that her “loving assistance has been very supportive.”

In 1993, Duane sold both his businesses and decided to retire. Already a savvy investor, he put most of the proceeds of the sale into the financial markets, building up the fund which was to become the Duane and Peggy Sandmeyer Scholarship. The fund will further be bolstered by a gift in his Will which will generously support students for countless years.

Duane and Peggy moved to an acreage near Courtenay in 1998. It contains a large state-of-the-art ham radio station surrounded by four giant towers, the perfect set-up for a man whose passion for his hobby turned his life around many years ago.

For more information on donating to UVic, please contact mgrlegacydev@uvic.ca or 250-721-8967.