September 13, 1941 – May 20, 2024

With heavy hearts we announce the peaceful passing of John “Jack” Theophilus Jones. On May 20, 2024, Jack passed away surrounded by his family in Kamloops, BC.

Jack is survived by his wife Eileen (nee Mobbs) of 53 years, his daughters Allison (Truman) and Michelle (Marc-Andre) and his grand-children Jensen, Jonathan, Keveney and Juliette. He is also survived by his brother Al, his aunt Vera McCreight, his beloved cousins, his brothers and sisters in law, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents William and Nora Jones and his step-mother Pauline Jones.

Jack was born on September 13, 1941 in Armstrong, BC to William and Nora Jones (nee Hayhurst). He spent much of his early childhood on the family farm in Deep Creek. He spoke fondly about playing and fishing with his brother and cousins. While still in high school, Jack became a Fireman with the Enderby Fire Department. After high school graduation, Jack worked for the B.C. Forestry Service.

In 1971, he joined B.A. Blacktop as a Foreman; a job that would take him to his retirement. Jack was a hard worker and has paved many of the streets in Kamloops, B.C. He was a proud member of the Union of Operating Engineers and in 2024 celebrated 50 years as a member. He was very proud of this achievement.

Jack retired in 1999 and soon began volunteering to drive patients from Kamloops to the Cancer Clinic in Kelowna. His retirement allowed him to spend his time fly fishing and fine tuning his flies for the perfect catch. He always left “Walter” in the lake for others to enjoy. He loved to cook and would regularly select a recipe, spend the day shopping for his ingredients and the afternoon cooking. There were only a few that weren’t recommended for second attempts. Jack and Eileen travelled extensively in retirement and enjoyed many destinations with their friends, Lynn and Des Daniher.

The family place at Shuswap Lake held a special place in Jack’s heart. He loved being at the Shuswap and could often be found playing a mean game of crib, pointing to a fish that just jumped or watching the storms roll in.

A family man first, Jack loved spending time with his true love and pillar of strength Eileen, his girls, bonus sons and grandchildren. He was a kind man, never saying a bad word of anyone and someone who always took the time to say hello when meeting someone.

We would like to extend our sincerest gratitude to dad’s physicians, Dr. Ian Lau, Dr. Mary Malbranche, Dr. Lee Jonat, Dr. Jill Calder, the Kamloops Kidney Clinic; to the Interior Health Palliative Home Care team (especially Leslie) and to the staff at the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home whom treated him with dignity and compassion.

Donations in Jack’s memory can be made online to the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home in Kamloops, B.C. (www.kamloopshospice.com).

“If there ever comes a day we can’t be together, keep me in your heart, I will live there forever.”

You will always be in our hearts and we will miss you until we see you again.

A Celebration of Life will be held at the West Highlands Community Centre, 1185 Links Way, Kamloops on Sunday, August 18, 2024 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Please join us in celebrating a wonderful, kind family man that will be greatly missed.

Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com

It is with great sadness that we announce the unexpected passing of our mother, Clara Fouillard.

True to character, even that morning Clara was out working in her yard and doing the things that she loved most. She definitely was listening to birds sing and tending to her flowers. In the years after the passing of her husband, Ben, she showed much strength and growth, traveling often and embarking on new adventures.

She was full of life and enjoyed being in Airdrie with Jaidyn and family and found a new love with puppy Leo. She competitively played crib with Dale, card games with friends, and she enjoyed traveling with Marta. Clara was a woman of faith and an active member of the church. She was also a member of Kamloops Adult Learners and was well-read with current events. She enjoyed reading biographies and watching Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy daily. Afternoons included talking to her sisters, Denise, Ina, and Lorraine on the phone and messaging dear friends, like Therese.

You could always expect home-baked goods when you came over, a perfectly clean home, and music to be playing.
Clara’s favorite place in the evening was the gazebo that our dad built.

Clara is survived by her children: Jacqueline (Dale) Millette and Desmond Fouillard; grandchildren: Jaidyn, Quinten, Xander, Jenna, and Cody. Clara is predeceased by her loving husband, Benoit Fouillard.

You are so missed and loved.
A light has gone out of our lives, but the love you gave will shine forever.

A Memorial Service will be held at St. John Vianney Parish in Westsyde on Friday, June 7th at 11:00 am. Interment to follow at Hillside Cemetery.

Memorial donations may be made to Chalice Canada: https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/14-chalice-canada

Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Bohdan Wasyl Stephen Markowsky on May 25, 2024, in Kamloops, British Columbia. The beloved first born to John and Katherine Markowsky from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.

Bohdan is predeceased by his brothers Orest and Zenon and his sister Iris. He is survived by his devoted wife Sylvia, his sister Joanne and her husband Robert, his sister in law Jean (Zenon), his sister in law Carol (Orest), brother in law Richard (Iris) and his son Todd (and his wife Rhonda), his son Jeffrey, his son Christopher (and his partner Jennifer), as well as cherished grandchildren John, Brynn, Hugh, and Max, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Growing up in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Bohdan pursued a career in education, earning his initial teaching qualifications at the age of 19 from The Normal School followed by a full degree from the University of Saskatchewan. He dedicated his professional life to teaching in the Prince Albert school system, with the majority of his career spent at Connaught and Prince Charles Elementary Schools. His forward thinking, alternative education techniques were a result of a teacher exchange program to Wales that he took his young family on for a year in 1974. Bohdie believed that a child’s work was to play. Bohdie was anything but normal.

Bohdan was a man of many talents and passions and never missed an opportunity to tell you about a fishing trip to a secret lake or a duck hunt on a prairie marsh with his trusted dog companion at his side. Together with his family as a source of labour, he built a log cabin at Weyakwin Lake, Saskatchewan that led to the construction of a dream log house near Spruce Home, north of Prince Albert. He retired at the age of 49 like a boss, but his commitment to education continued as he enthusiastically took Sylvia on an adventure inside the Arctic Circle to Old Crow, Yukon to teach. One more stop in the journey to Pelly Crossing, Yukon, before they settled in Camrose, Alberta in 1997 to be closer to their grandchildren.

A passionate advocate for Ducks Unlimited, Bohdan found that a perfect place for his love of education and the outdoors. His interest in stone masonry led to a second career and he made a mark with several fireplaces, feature walls and cairns throughout the prairies that will outlast us all. His craftsmanship in creating willow furniture was admired and he enjoyed sharing this skill with his many proteges. An avid fisherman and fly-tier, Bohdan’s love for the outdoors was evident in his hobbies. He was a steadfast sports enthusiast, enjoying baseball, hockey, and later in life, curling, a sport he took up following in the footsteps of his father.

In 2013, Bohdan and Sylvia moved to Kamloops to be closer to friends and family. Bohdie was deeply involved in his church community and held to his faith, instilled by his loving mother Kitty, until his last breath. His unique willow tables, created with joy and skill, were donated to his church for fundraising efforts and continued into his final week.

Bohdan’s legacy of teaching, his passion for the outdoors and his craftsmanship will be remembered and cherished by all who knew him. He will be deeply missed.

A Celebration of Bohdan’s life will take place on Wednesday, May 29th, at 11:00 AM PST at Kamloops United Church, 421 St. Paul Street. Livestream available https://kamloopsunited.ca/
In lieu of flowers, donations in Bohdan’s memory can be made to Kamloops Hospice Association, or the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of William  “Willie”  Wilkinson on May 25, 2024, in Kamloops B.C. He was predeceased by Shirley, his wife of 66 years, in April of 2024.

He is survived by son Mark (Brigita) and granddaughters Nicole & Stephanie; and daughter Terri (Kelly) Low and their children Andy & Melissa and families. Also remembered by brother Elmore (Inez) Wilkinson and nephews Glen Wilkinson and Rick (Nancy) Parkman and niece Wendy Galbraith. He was predeceased by sister-in-law Patricia Parkman and brother-in-law Layton Parkman, nephew Grant Parkman and nieces Vonna Neal and Wendy, Gwen, and Sherry Wilkinson.

Willie was born in 1935 to Roy and Isobel Wilkinson. He grew up in the Merrit and Princeton areas, spending most of his youth in Princeton. He started work at a young age, working at the Princeton Power Plant shoveling coal, moving onto logging, as a faller, and finally joining Tom Stout and Les McKenzie to form Tri-Valley Construction (still operating in Princeton) in 1964. Willie and Shirley partnered with Dennis and Bonnie Cook in a few hairbrained schemes, including the operation of Gibson Pass Ski Hill the first year it went private.

Willie married Shirley in 1958 in Princeton where they raised their family. Willie was always active and involved with his children including Nancy Greene Ski League, Minor Hockey, and Junior Curling. Willie had a variety of hobbies, but placer gold mining was perhaps his favorite. His early placer mining was influenced heavily by Bob Thomas, who was a great teacher and mentor. Willie would spend most summer weekends on his claims and Mark would almost always tag along.

Willie and Shirley spent the past 30 years in Kamloops, where they enjoyed their strata community. Willie was active in the carving community in Kamloops. His carvings, along with Shirley’s water colour and oil paintings, are proudly displayed in the homes of family and friends. They also enjoyed travelling to warmer climates with their travel trailer and spending time at the family cabin they built in Tulameen.

Willie will be greatly missed by all.

Willie will be greatly missed by all.

No service will be held as per his request, donations in his memory can be made to Heart and Stroke foundation.

Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com

It is with deepest sorrow we announce that Kenneth John Sawka, 85, of Kamloops, BC passed away on May 12, 2024 as a result of a stroke.  He was pre-deceased by his parents, Jack & Annie, his wife Pauline and his daughter Milynda.  He is survived by his son Andre (Jessica), granddaughter Addisyn, brother Mel (Elaine), sisters Jane (Frank), Alice (Ludwig), numerous nieces and nephews, and his good friend Velma who was a comfort in later years.

Ken was born on May 28, 1938 in the Tisdale Hospital, in Saskatchewan.  In 1955 he headed west landing in Clinton, BC, before making Kamloops his home.  In 1957 he started his forestry career at the Mill in Savona becoming a member of the IWA, the majority of his career working as a night foreman with never missing a day of work.  He married the love of his life, Pauline Bloski in 1962 after meeting in Melfort while home helping his dad on the farm.   They had two children Milynda in 1971 and Andre in 1974.  Ken was a faithful parishioner of the Ukraine Catholic Church (The Holy Trinity) as well as being heavily involved with the Ukraine Orthodox Church.   When the kids were young Ken spent many hours driving his son Andre and his soccer crew to games home and away, never missing a game.  He was the first to call bingo at the hall and volunteer time at local community events in the city he loved.

After Pauline’s passing, Ken stayed active by volunteering at the Kamloops Senior Centre, spending many weekend nights dancing, bartending as well as calling bingo.   Ken was an avid lottery player always hoping his numbers would win big.  He would make yearly trips to Calgary to visit his family never wanting to miss his son and granddaughter’s November birthdays.  A family man first Ken always took care of everyone he loved especially his granddaughter who made his hazel eyes sparkle whenever he saw her.   He will be deeply missed and forever loved.

Viewing will be held at the Kamloops Funeral Home (285 Fortune Drive) on Monday, May 20^th, at 7pm.  Prayers will be at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church (118 Don St / 109 Tranquille Rd.) on Tuesday, May 21^st at 11 am followed by a short lunch and funeral procession to the graveside service, where he will be laid to rest with his beloved Polly (Pauline). Celebrant, Rev. Andrze Wasylinko.

If you wish to send flowers please send to the Kamloops Funeral home or in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice.

Condolences may be sent to the family from
www.kamloopsfuneralhome.com