We are saddened and heartbroken to announce the passing of Joan Willo Bennewith who passed away peacefully on July 11, 2026 in Ashcroft, BC at the age of 92. Joan was predeceased by her beloved husband, Stanley (Stan) Kenneth Bennewith on May 20, 2014.

Joan will be deeply missed and forever remembered by her children, Mark (Eileen), Alan (Janice), Diane (Tom Elliott), and Brian (Bonnie). Her grandchildren, Brian Jr., Brandalyn, Nicole, Sean, Griffin, Elizabeth, Catherine, and Willy. Her great-grandchildren, Corbin, Ayden, Troy, Lexi, Camryn, Ryder, Hayden, Avery, Zoey, and Seth. She also leaves behind her dear sister Janet Meeks and brother Bill Moore (Kathy).

Joan was born in Kamloops in 1934. She went on to graduate as a Registered Nurse in Kamloops in 1955 where she worked at the Royal Inland Hospital and in 1961 at the Lady Minto Hospital in Ashcroft. In 1972 she carried on with the new Ashcroft and District Hospital as Director of Nursing until retirement.

Mom loved to share her knowledge of cooking, baking, and canning. She also loved knitting, sewing, needlepoint, and later discovered a passion for quilting, creating beautiful handmade quilts to pass on to all the family members.

She was an amazing mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her unconditional love will be missed everyday.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Kamloops Funeral Home at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to a charity of your choice.

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

It is with deep sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Hank Thiessen, who joined the Lord on June 19, 2026 ,at the age of 84, surrounded by his devoted wife Carmen and family.

Born in Manitoba on December 26, 1941 to Susie and Jacob Thiessen (who migrated from Russia). Hank was the oldest of six siblings. Hank (at age 2 years) and his family moved to British Columbia and settled in Chilliwack, where Hank spent most of his childhood and youth.  As an adult, he moved around BC from White Rock to Prince George then to Yukon territory then back to BC. He was married two times before marrying Carmen in the Philippines and settling in Yukon, then moved in 2010 to Merritt, BC for the warmer climes.

Hank was passionate about driving, and he worked as a long-haul driver for more than 50 years, driving across Canada and Alaska with Carmen tagging along. He loved reading, fixing things, old movies, and wood working. He also loved fishing when he was younger and settled later in life to solving puzzles, taking long drives with Carmen and having coffee with friends.

He is survived by his wife Carmen, his stepchildren Flor & Gerald, Jojo, Bing & Henry, and Eric, and step-grandchildren John, Zach and Matti. He is also survived by his two brothers (Dave of Edmonton and Herb of Cranbrook) and three sisters (Erna of Kamloops, Deedee of Victoria, and Marge of Eholt), his adopted children Jeanette and Bonnie, and niece Debbie & husband Derrel.

Hank was foremost a loving, patient and devoted husband to Carmen, a dependable father and grandfather to his family, and a loyal and wonderful person to his friends. Hank loved God, Carmen, and country and gospel music. He was an avid fan of German food and has grown fond of some Filipino foods that Carmen often cooked.

Though our hearts are heavy, we are grateful for the years we shared with him and the countless memories that will forever bring us comfort. We are content knowing that he is now with our loving Father in heaven.

A celebration of his life will be held on Sunday, July 12, 2026 at 11am in the Kamloops Funeral Home, 285 fortune Drive. Service followed by luncheon.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1)

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

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father, Jeet Singh Lalli, on June 24, 2026.

He will be remembered for his strength, generosity, and the love he shared with his family and all who had the privilege of knowing him. Though he is no longer with us, his spirit and the memories he created will remain with us always.

We welcome you to cherish and remember a life full of love through prayers and shared memories.

A Funeral Service will be held, Saturday, July 4, 2026 at 11am in the Kamloops Funeral Home, 285 Fortune Drive.
Service to follow at Gurdwara Sahib, 1345 Ord Road.

May his memory be a blessing, and may he rest in eternal peace.

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

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Grace Laverne Tuyttens, who passed away peacefully on June 15,2026 at Westsyde Landing (formally The Hamlets).

Born on August 9, 1937 in Weyburn Saskatchewan, Grace spent the majority of her life in Kamloops.

A teacher by profession, Grace taught grade 3 for many years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School. After retirement, she loved gardening, golf and travelling the world with her husband Maurice.

Grace’s faith was central to her life, and she was a devoted member of St. John Vianney Parish.

Family was also very important to Grace and she shared a special bond with her sisters and brothers until the very end.

She leaves behind her children Deborah (Bonnie), Barbara and Michael as well as her siblings, Richard, Garry, Mary, Adele, Jim and Ken. She is predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Maurice and her infant son, Maurice Jr, as well as her parents Edmond and Frances Britz, brothers Don, Clifford, Walter, and sisters Bernice, Leona, Isabelle and Dorothy.

Prayers will be recited on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 7:00pm in the St. John Vianney Parish Church, 2826 Bank Road, Kamloops, BC. Followed by Mass of the Christian Burial on Friday, July 3, 2026 at 11:00am with celebrant Father Dale Normandeau. A reception to follow.

The family would like to extend their heartfelt thanks to Sue Roberts for her unwavering support and friendship towards Mom. We also wish to thank Brian and Marlene Selzler, Joanne Woitas, and Roger and Therese Gobeil for your kindness and compassion as well as the many others who have been important and supportive throughout her life.

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

Teofila was born March 5th, 1948 to Simeon and Julia Tanguamos at Baclayon, Bohol, Philippines. She is survived by her loving husband Lawrence, daughter Geralyn (Jason), and two wonderful grandsons Cohen and Brixton. Back home in the Philippines, she is survived by two sisters and two brothers, namely Gunding, Marcos, Terry Mieh along with several nieces, nephews and cousins. Teofila also had three nieces living in Canada, one of whom is here with us today, namely Demi (Skilliter), along with husband, Ralph, along with their daughter Nicole and son Eddy. Teofila had extended family in lowa, California, Florida and North Carolina.

When Teofila was younger, her siblings could not pronounce her name, so they nicknamed her, Ping. After a few years in Canada, the nickname that covered herself and Lawrence was Ping Pong. When her mother passed away from Leukemia, Teofila returned home from Divine Word University in Tagbilaran City and raised her siblings until they grew up. Returning back to university, she completed her Master’s Degree.

Teofila worked with the Maryknoll Fathers Missionary Congregation in the Visayas region of the Philippines as their Provincial Secretary. Her boss, Father Jerry Peters suggested to her, when she finished her contract, that it might be a good idea to travel to British Columbia and as a Frontier Apostole lay volunteer. Teofila took up the challenge, spending two years in Dawson Creek, where she encountered snow and cold weather for the first time. Apparently, she thought that snow was bird droppings. Thanks to her fellow FAs and the parish of Notre Dame, she survived her first winter in Canada. Teofila finally met the love of her life, Lawrence; they were married in Dawson Creek; the wedding reception was put together by the parish of Notre Dame under the leadership of Rose and Randy Nowicki along the Gibb family After a year of teaching in Dawson Creek, Teofila and her husband moved to Fort St. John for eight years. After studies, Teofila worked for the North Peace Community Resources, helping out families. It is Fort St. John, that the joy of our life was born, Geralyn.

Arnold Poelzer from Kamloops and the principal of Immaculata School decided that Teofila had to move to a warmer climate, namely that of Kamloops.

Eventually, she made it to Kamloops and first of all served as a substitute teacher at OLPH and Saint Ann’s Academy. Later, she worked at the Kamloops Community Resources and in their collection of group homes.

Teofila was especially known for her exquisite cooking and she was the consummate entertainer. She loved having neighbors and friends come over for a meal. This included bishops, priests and brothers along with teachers and school administrators. She always took great joy in the accomplishments of Geralyn. When able she was a strong member of the CWL in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, at Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. John Vianney. At this time, we would like to thank the priests on the altar for their loving care along with Father Derek Cameron all of whom made sure that Teofila was able to receive the sacraments. To the Extraordinary Eucharistic Ministers from Sacred Heart Cathedral and St. John Vianney for making sure that Teofila was able to receive the Eucharist on a weekly basis. Teofila suffered a long list of medical issues for over eight years, these illnesses included kidney failure, diabetes, heart issues and finally dementia. She was a silent sufferer. We thank the LTC staff at Westsyde Landing and Chartwell Tranquille, for the compassionate care that they gave Teofila. Finally, allow us to thank the staff and doctors at the RIH Renal Dialysis Unit who took such good care of Teofila over the years. Their care provided Lawrence and Teofila with extra time to grow together as a couple. To the Renal Dialysis Unit at RIH, we thank the nurses and doctors who compassionately cared for Teofila for well over eight years.

Vigil prayers will be held at 7:00 pm at St. John Vianney on Thursday, June 25th. The Funeral will be held at the same parish at 11:00 am on Friday, June 26^th, followed by a reception. Finally, Teofila’s internment will be held on Monday, June 29th at 11:00 am at Hillside Cemetery.

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