‘Our family has never stopped hoping’: Metro Vancouver man has been missing for nearly 40 years

Gordon Raymond, who has been missing since 1987, is seen in this image handed out by the New Westminster Police Department.

Nearly 40 years after a Metro Vancouver man disappeared, police say they remain dedicated to finding him.

On Tuesday, the New Westminster Police Department appealed for information to help solve the case of Gordon Raymond, who was last seen in 1987. Family and friends have not heard from him since.

Raymond, who went by “Dale” and sometimes “Gord,” was 39 when he went missing and would be 79 today, police said. In the ’80s, he lived throughout the region, including in Surrey, Vancouver and New Westminster. He previously lived in Edmonton and Thailand.

“We are committed to supporting this investigation and finding Mr. Raymond,” NWPD spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Leaver said, in a news release. “His family is hoping for answers. Please, be a force multiplier and let’s work together to share this appeal for information.”

Raymond worked as an aircraft mechanic and drove a cream-coloured 1976 Buick Century, according to police, who added he painted the rear windows black in 1986 and may have slept in his vehicle.

The NWPD says it is hoping to speak to Raymond’s son, Gordon Jr.

In a statement included in the NWPD release, Raymond’s sister Colleen recalled a time when her elder brother surprised her at a school choir performance when she was a child.

“He walked up to the stage and waved, before we started singing, so I knew he was there for me when our parents couldn’t be,” she said. “He hasn’t shown up for the past 40 years, but our family has never stopped hoping he will. If anyone has any information about Dale, no matter how small, please call the detectives. It could make all the difference.”

Police describe Raymond as a 6’2” tall white man with false teeth and surgery scars from a broken hip and appendectomy.

The NWPD says its Specialized Investigations Unit, which works on historical missing persons cases, has “recently been able to dedicate focused time to advancing this file.”

Anyone with information about Raymond is asked to call the NWPD at 604-525-5411.