Clint Nickerson, great friend of golf and Evans Scholars supporter, passes too young

It is with great sadness Clint Nickerson passed away in Victoria, B.C., following a short illness. He had been diagnosed with cancer, and 10 days later he was gone. He was 65.

“It happened so fast, and is so difficult to fathom that we are still in shock,” said Berne Neufeld, longtime member at Victoria Golf Club, where Clint was also a member and the club’s immediate past president. Berne and Clint were instrumental in establishing the Evans Caddie Scholarship program at the club.

Berne is also a PNGA Club Representative from Victoria GC, and at one time was the Chair of the PNGA Women’s Committee.

“I’ve been asked to speak at Clint’s memorial,” Berne said. “Our caddies will go up with me and stand on either side. Clint was passionate about our caddie program, and his wife Alisa was also involved and was always ready to help whenever Clink asked.”

Clint grew up in Victoria, raised by his mother, Muriel. She selflessly channeled her efforts into her two extraordinary children, Clint and sister Beth, having suffered the loss of her husband when the children were still young. Muriel gave her children the best education. Clint attended St. Michael’s School and completed at Brentwood College on Vancouver Island. He graduated with honors and attended two years at the University of Victoria.

Clint embarked in a career in broadcasting. He was very successful, blessed with a remarkable intellect and one of the best set of “pipes” in the business. Clint started at Victoria radio CJVI under news director Joe Easingwood, learning the basics of the trade. Stints at CKDA Victoria and CFUN Vancouver followed before Clint landed in Toronto in the mid-1970s at Rogers’ rock station CFTR in Toronto. Soon, he moved into TV, signing on with Moses Znaimer’s CITY-TV at its original quarters in an industrial building on Queen Street, complete with tacky furniture.

Later, Clint went back to work at CFTR under news director Robert Holliday. Together, they produced the pioneering public affairs show, “Sunday, Sunday.” This was before satellite and each show had to be done by mid-week so tapes could be sent via air to stations across Canada for weekend broadcast. It was expensive to produce but lasted until the early 1980s. Clint moved to Telemedia’s CJCL, a station specializing in talk and public affairs programming. This was short-lived due to the high cost of production. Clint ended back in the producer’s chair at CITY.

It was an exciting time to be there. The channel universe was exploding. CHUM bought into CITY and there was money to produce an exciting array of shows, Fashion TV, Much Music, The New Music – and the most innovative news in the city with Clint actively charting its course.

It was then that Clint met Alisa, the love of his life, who is one of the most talented television graphic designers in Canada.

He was one of Znaimer’s most trusted deputies, and in the late 1990s awarded Clint with the chance of a lifetime – to establish CHUM’s brand-new station in Victoria. Clint built that station literally from the ground up, including the arduous process securing the license from CRTC. CIVI shook up broadcasting in Victoria, applying the methods so successful at CITY-TV, with even more intense focus on public affairs programming, with Clint as News Director.

After retiring from CIVI, Clint remained active doing part time consulting work in broadcasting and radio but now he was finally able to devote more time to his lifelong passion of golf. To say he played the game well is an understatement. Watching Clint wind himself up at the tee prior to connecting with the ball was a huge treat, like watching an artist at the easel. Total, utter immersion.

Clint joined Victoria Golf Club in Oak Bay, where he had caddied as a boy. Clint was very involved in giving back and worked hard to establish the Evans Caddie Scholarship at VGC, which over the years has helped send many young people to universities throughout North America. Clint was very involved in the club, joining many committees and serving many years on the board, the past two years as club president.

Clint loved Alisa, loved golf and loved Victoria. He was so happy to return to the city where he grew up and enjoy the game of golf in this paradise. He loved journalism and was well suited to the job, possessed with a formidable intellect and insatiable curiosity. He mentored many individuals and was responsible for their lifelong careers. Clint was a fine, loyal friend to those who knew him. He will be sadly missed. He is survived by his wife Alisa and family.

A celebration of his life will be held at the Victoria Golf Club on Thursday, June 22, 3:00-5:00pm. Please donate to VGC Evans Caddie Scholarship in lieu of flowers.

(Clint Nickerson’s obituary originally published in Victoria Times Colonist on June 10, 2017.)