Sheldon Bilsker
Obituary for Sheldon Bilsker
June 8, 1951 - February 19, 2026
Cause of death:
Pancreatic Cancer and Mitral Regurgitation
Sheldon was grateful to be able to access MAiD in order to die with dignity and without pain,
watching the sunset over English Bay surrounded by love.
Surviving family members:
Cora Bilsker (daughter), Scarlett Willett (grandchild), Cody Willett (son-in-law), Daniel Bilsker (brother)
Predeceased family members:
Ruth Kanofsky (sister), Rhoda Pomp (mother), Solomon Bilsker (father)
Sheldon was born in a kibbutz in Hadera, Israel on June 8, 1951 to Rhoda Pomp and Soloman Bilsker. When he was 2 years old, the family moved to New York, NY and then shortly after to Montreal, QC. He grew up the eldest of three children and a jock, playing hockey, football, baseball, snooker and tennis.
Sheldon loved jazz, proudly sharing the legends he managed to see live, sometimes at the early stages of their career. As a young adult he visited Vancouver, BC and found his true home on the West Coast, playing tennis & pool, eating healthy, kayaking with the whales and capturing photos of hummingbirds.
As Sheldon would often quote: “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member”, yet he still managed to create an incredible community by coining the term "Counselling Hypnotherapy”. He founded the International Association for Counselling Hypnotherapists and created his 40 year old business, The Orca Institute, offering Hypnotherapy and Counselling training (still operating under new ownership). He was one of the founding members (17th) of the BCACC, which is now an association with more than 10,000 counsellors.
When his daughter was taken to Alberta without his consent, he did everything possible to maintain their connection and challenge the stereotypical narrative of ‘deadbeat dads’. Succeeding beautifully, Cora and Sheldon have had a very special relationship that's continued on through to his deep love for his granddaughter, Scarlett.
Sheldon had incredible tenacity: he talked his way out of jail, survived melanoma cancer, reversed diabetes and resolved chronic fatigue. He believed that if you were down to your last dollar, you should share it - and he did, always thinking of others, even when he was struggling. He loved the writing of Christopher Hitchens, who said, “The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks.”
Clearly, he had no shortage of passions, having created a vibrant and social life. Sheldon made friends with everyone he met: the dentist, the computer repair person, his students… He built rapport like breathing, listened & respected the boundaries of others and lived a life deeply committed to his values. There is no doubt that Sheldon left the world better than he found it and just like the hypnotherapist Milton H. Erikson would say, his voice will go with us.
[Written in his last few days by Cora, in collaboration with Sheldon.]
In Loving Memory
Sheldon's Nature Photography
Sheldon's Farewell Playlist
Condolence Messages