Dad passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Nov 1, 2021 in Kamloops BC with his family by his side. He leaves to mourn his passing, his dear friend and companion Alice and her family, his children Shaun Robinson, Kelly Nystoruk and her children Chilton, Devon (Kim) Jacob, Jonah, Joseph (Kirsty), and step daughter Sonja More (Brian) and their children Hailee, Keigan (Ashley) & Victoria (Dirk), stepson Savo Perazich, and his children Milan and Meleva and stepdaughter Borka Rodrigue and her children Jovan (Kristen) and Nastasja. Ten great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews & cousins. Dad was predeceased by his father Albert “Shorty” in 1959 & his mother Violet “Tootie” in 1999, his first wife Edna in 1971, his second wife Olga in 2008, his brother Orrin in 2004 and his sons in law Peter Nystoruk in 2013 and Lincoln Rodrigue in 2021.
Dad was born in a farmhouse in Pemberton Range on June 28, 1933. He grew up riding horses and tried riding in some local rodeos but decided he didn’t want any broken bones. He tried to take high school courses by correspondence, working on local farms and at sawmills to earn enough money for his books but that only lasted 6 months as he had to help his dad on the farm. After quitting school he went to work at different sawmills and logging camps for a while until he moved to the coast and worked at Fleck brothers in 1952. In 1954 he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force with the sole purpose (dad’s words) of learning the mechanics trade but as soon as basic training was finished the mechanics trade was closed. Basic training was in St. Jean Quebec, he then transferred to Aylmer Ontario where he took 8 weeks of safe driving and a basic mechanics course. This is where he took up bowling which became a lifelong passion of his. He also joined the canteen committee where he organized dances and other social activities. In Oct 1956 he was stationed in Whitehorse Yukon and that was the end of his time spent in the Air Force.
In 1957 dad went to live with his brother Orrin in Vancouver. In March of 1959 dad’s father passed away suddenly and dad took over the responsibility of caring for his mother. On November 28, 1959 dad met Edna Wilkinson and they married Oct 8, 1960 and settled in at Sapperton BC, a neighborhood in New Westminster where both daughters were born. Dad spent the next few years trying to find a better paying job to raise his family. Mom and dad bought a house on an acre of land in Haney but Mom was very sick and the medical bills were piling up on dad so in 1969 dad decided to move his family to Kamloops where the weather was drier for his wife who suffered serious lung problems and doctors recommended the move for her health. He made the trip up here first to find a job and came back to pack us and all our belongings and head to Kamloops. Dad began his long term job at Balco Industries where he worked until his retirement in 1998. In the summer of 1970, we moved into our new home on Valleyview Drive. On December 12, 1971, 2 years after moving his family to Kamloops his wife passed away from long term lung issues. He was left with 2 small children who needed their mother and did his best to see they had someone to care for them.
He was supposed to meet Olga Perazich on a blind date but the date never happened so he went to see her the next day and they soon started seeing each other every weekend. On Friday’s dad would take mom out for dinner and on Sundays, mom would have dad and his girls over for dinner with her family. They married on Dec 30, 1972 and a family was born. We grew up in that house on Valleyview Drive where mom and dad were very busy with their home of 5 children, 2 dogs, cats and a yard full of gardens and fruit trees. Once the children left home, mom and dad enjoyed many summers camping in the Shuswap. Eventually they chose to go their separate ways.
Later, Dad was blessed with Alice with whom he enjoyed many years together, taking lots of road trips with their dog Mya, sometimes into the U.S., bowling together, going to dances sometimes at the Legion where dad was a member and delivering newspapers. In his later years, dad was very blind, so much so that it interfered with his day to day activities so he moved into the Hamlets where he kept everyone on their toes. He still went to dances with Alice that the Hamlets held on Thursday evenings until that was no longer possible. Dad would meet up with residents on Sundays and they would have coffee and talk politics and gossip. Anyone who knew Dad knew he loved a good debate, enter into one at your peril. He was a dedicated union man serving on the executive and bargaining committee at Balco. He loved country music and played the accordion.
Dad shared with his family the things in his life that made him happy like reading, bowling, music, road trips in the countryside, politics, the history of this area, and having a good debate. Dad was an avid reader all his life so when his eyesight was dimming it was getting harder and harder for him to read as he became legally blind. It took some doing, but he was finally convinced (I won that debate) to start listening to Books on CD but once he did, there was no going back. He loved it. Dad loved history and especially history of this area and read everything there was on that subject in our library. He loved dogs, it didn’t matter what breed, he just loved dogs and always had to have one.
Our many heartfelt thanks go out to the team of the Hamlets, Dr. Cribb and to those in the Hamlets who gave him that extra time and care. To Tammy from the library who kept dad well stocked with talking books.
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Canadian Cancer Society or the charity of your choice.
A memorial service is being planned for spring of 2022.
Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com
