WASIAK, Zdzislaw Anton Saturday, 19 Jan 2008
Richmond, BC
WASIAK, Zdzislaw Anton "Tom", flew to the angels, away from pulmonary fibrosis on Saturday, January 19, 2008. Born in 1929 in Warsaw, Poland, Tom is survived by his devoted wife Barbara and daughters Angela (Peter) and Christine (Bruce), and granddaughter Dana. Tom leaves behind his loving sister Krystyna (Heniek) in Warsaw along with other friends and family in Poland, Canada and the United States. A Prayer Service will be held on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Parish, 4451 Williams Road, Richmond, B.C. A Mass of Christian Burial will follow on Friday, January 25, 2008 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph the Worker Parish. Interment to follow at Gardens of Gethsemani in Surrey, B.C. A special thanks to the Richmond Hospital medical staff for your compassionate care for Tom. In lieu of flowers, please forward your kind donations to: The Richmond Hospital Foundation Palliative Care Program, 7000 Westminster Highway, Richmond, B.C. V6X 1A2. The Richmond Funeral Home Cremation & Reception Ctr.
Branch, Ina Tuesday, 22 Aug 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Ina Annie Branch was born January 25, 1915 to James and Mable Wiggins.
She passed away on August 22, 2006.
She was born at Harper's Camp (now Horsefly) and she would correct you if you said she was born in Horsefly.
Ina grew up at Miocene on the ranch that her parents carved out of the wilderness. She attended school at Miocene and for high school she stayed in Williams Lake.
Ina loved life in the Cariboo and would never consider living anywhere else. Ina loved the ranch life and could do any job that came up.
She could stack hay, feed cattle in the winter, mend fences or do whatever came her way. It didn't matter to her. Ina was just as at home outside working as she was inside doing housework.
Ina married Dick Branch in 1936 and they lived at Saucer Lake a.k.a. Fish Lake and Summit Lake. By 1941 they had four boys: Peter, Dick, Bill and Don.
That same year, Dick joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and was off to war. They expected the war to be over in a year and he would be back home.
It didn't turn out that way though. Dick came home in 1945 when the war was over.
During this time when he was away, the Miese place came up for sale. Ina wanted it so that the boys would be closer to school.
So being the determined person she was she put a bid on it and her bid was successful, so she packed up the boys and moved in.
Dick came home from the Air Force and started ranching again, but money was always short and in 1948 he went to work at Horsefly Lake and came home on weekends to help Ina with the work and see his family.
In 1950 David was born and a year later along came Randy. In 1958, they sold the ranch and moved to Horsefly Lake.
They lived there until 1966 then moved to the 150 where Ina lived until her passing.
Ina was pre-deceased by her sons Dick in 1959, Bill in 1982 and David in 1996. Dick passed away in 1997.
Ina leaves to mourn sons Peter, his wife Leslie, Don and his wife Joyce, and Randy and his wife Audrey; 10 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and three great-great-grandchildren all who loved to go visit her at her home at the 150.
Her brother Wiley Wiggins from Saskatchewan, sister Ida, and brother-in-law, Len Ford, from Kamloops, and brother-in-law Jeff Branch who resides in Seattle.
Ina had many, many nephews and nieces as well as cousins from eastern Canada and the United States.
She also leaves behind her Women's Institute friends and a vast number of friends from her church and the community.
All of her family and friends were very important to her.
Ina was an avid volunteer in the community.
She belonged to the Women's Institute for many years. She also worked with the Timmis organization for the handicapped. In 1999 she was the Remembrance Day Silver Cross Mother.
In 1979, Ina was nominated the Citizen of the Year for Williams Lake.
Ina will be missed by all who knew her.
ROGERS, Robert Wednesday, 16 Jan 2008
Richmond, BC
Professor Emeritus, School of Music, U.B.C.
Sept. 15, 1936 - Jan. 16, 2008
Robert passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family after a valiant battle with cancer. He will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by his wife Mary, sons Bob (Ramona), Tony (Beth), and Chris, grandchildren Brennan, Malia, Jaida, Joshua and Zachary, siblings John (Brenda), Jim (Kathy), Jocelyn (Kevin), Susan and Cindy (Michael), stepmother Jean, as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. Robert's legacy is one of generosity of spirit, devotion to his family, and his tremendous contribution to the musical community, both as a teacher and performer. Robert loved life, and enjoyed nothing more than regaling friends and relations with stories and anecdotes. Special thanks to Dr. Harvey Halperin and all of the dedicated health care professionals who helped him through the final and most difficult period of his life. A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 25th at 1:30 P.M. at St. Philip's Anglican Church, 3737 W. 27th Ave., Vancouver. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society would be most appreciated.
deGroot, Christopher Lawrence Wednesday, 06 Sep 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Christopher Lawrence deGroot was born December 30, 1978 and passed away suddenly in a car accident in Cranbrook, B.C. on September 6, 2006.
He is survived by his son, Jordan Scout; his parents Dianne Hales and Lawrence deGroot; his sisters Delenda Schuk (Lorne Schuk) and Rebecca Grinder; his brother Justin Grinder; and his grandmother, Mary McKone.
He is also survived by his nephews Bryce, Matthew and Rylan Schuk and his niece Lenaya Schuk; his uncles Darrel, Terry and Kevin McKone, and Gerald and Case deGroot; his aunts Barb and Annie McKone, Maria deGroot, Lilian Pawliw, and Elma Falk.
He is also survived by many cousins, and many friends and extended family members.
Chris will be sadly missed and forever in our hearts.
A service will be held for Chris on September 23, 2006 at 11 a.m. at the Compassionate Care Funeral Home on Comer Street in Williams Lake, B.C.
Following the service there will be refreshments at the Lakeside Motel on Highway 97 South.
Perry, Hugh Tuesday, 05 Sep 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Hugh Henry Perry, known affectionately as Brownie, passed away peacefully in the Cariboo Memorial Hospital Sept. 5, 2006.
Brownie was born Dec. 14, 1921 in Quesnel to Amy and Hugh Perry.
He had two sisters and five brothers.
Brownie enjoyed hunting cougar with his father and staying out overnight many times at trappers' cabins in bitterly cold weather.
In the early 1940s he horse logged in Prince George with brothers Stan and Calvin.
Later he drove the same team of horses from Prince George to Durrell's Ranch at the Slee Place near Riske Creek.
Brownie moved around, working on many ranches in the Chilcotin, the River Ranch, Wineglass Ranch, Cotton Ranch, Bell Ranch and the Gang Ranch.
He also fed cattle in the winter at back meadows for the Moon Ranch.
Brownie married Pauline Anderson in 1948. They had six children, Rene, Lee, Deedee, Nola, Bryce, and Brad.
They also raised a nephew, Greg.
The family called Riske Creek home for a while. Brownie contracted fencing and building cabins for the forestry in Quesnel, Helena Lake, Alexis Creek, Williams Lake, Meldrum Creek and Riske Creek. He and son Bryce built the odd shaped house on Rafferty Hill for Lee.
The last building Brownie built was Pauline's chicken house in 2002, with logs salvaged from a barn on Moon's Ranch.
In 1952 they moved to Quesnel and he logged for Gene Johnson.
Another move in 1969, when they bought the McTaggart Meadow from Jenny Warde, and raised a few cows.
They lived at Cotton Meadow, Pre-emption Meadow and Jenny Meadow until they leased Silver Birch Ranch on the Fraser River Road.
In 1988 Brownie was having hip problems so they leased their cows to Roy and Gwen Mulvahill and later sold them the herd.
They moved to Meldrum Creek in 1989, and lived in Pat Davey's place and later bought the place.
Three weeks after the move Brownie had a hip replacement.
The operation wasn't a success and put him on crutches for three and a half years until they operated again with better luck.
But nothing stopped Brownie, while on crutches he dug their basement with the help of Pauline hauling the dirt away.
No matter what the job was they worked together.
In 1988 Brownie's book of poems Reflections of a Rambler was published.
Over the years in his spare time Brownie learned to braid using horsehair, rawhide and leather.
He created many beautiful head stalls, reins, quirts, and his miniature saddles were exquisite.
Many articles can be seen in the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin.
He continued to write his Reflections of a Rambler style poetry which gives an insight into the life of a swamp meadow rancher and cowboy.
Brownie did light chores at their home in Meldrum Creek where Pauline still lives, until July when his health started to fail.
He passed away on September 5, 2006.
Brownie was pre-deceased by his parents Amy and Hugh Perry; brothers Stan, Calvin, and Bobby; and sisters Sylvia and Phyllis.
He will be sadly missed by his loving wife Pauline of 58 years, brothers Bill and Gordon (Marliss) his children and grandchildren and his many friends in the Cariboo-Chilcotin.
Huckvale, Hazel Saturday, 26 Aug 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Hazel Belle MacMillan Huckvale, of Williams Lake, B.C., passed away on August 26, 2006 at the Williams Lake Seniors Village, at the age of 93. She was born on July 24, 1913 at Brodie, Ontario to Angus Neil MacMillan and Christine Campbell.
She grew up on the 'the farm' with her brother Lloyd (1909-1986) and sister Bessie (1907-1986).
She graduated from Brodie Public School, Vanleek Hill High School and Ottawa Teachers' College. She eventually got a Masters in Education from UB.C. She taught elementary school in Ontario and Quebec in the 1930s and married the charming Ray Smith. The marriage lasted only a few years.
During the Second World War, Hazel lived in Ottawa and joined the auxiliary forces. She met Jim Huckvale, while he was serving in the Canadian Armed Forces.
They married in 1944 and moved to Lone Butte in the Cariboo where Jim acted as a wilderness guide and Hazel taught in a one-room school.
Their son Neil was born in 1950.
The family moved to Williams Lake in 1953. Hazel taught while Jim worked as a manager at West Fraser.
Hazel completed her 45 year teaching career as principal of Glendale Elementary School. She was an active member of the Liberal Party, Eastern Star, Legion, the Clan Macmillan Society, the B.C. Teachers Federation and other community organizations.
She was instrumental in helping the Sikh community in Williams Lake. She worked to improve her school, community, church and country.
She had a keen sense of what she felt was right. She worked, cajoled, and argued tirelessly for her views.
Upon retirement, Hazel served two terms on the Williams Lake Town Council and then as a Seniors' Counselor.
She was a moving force behind seniors housing, city parks, municipal buses and the preservation of local history.
Her phone started ringing at 7:00 a.m. and did not stop until midnight. In spite of all this activity, Hazel always had time for family and friends --- all things could be made better with a cup of tea, a long chat or a good argument. After the death of her son Neil in 1981, Hazel took comfort from family and friends.
She particularly doted on her granddaughter, Tara, who came to think of Williams Lake as home - spending every summer there from the age of five.
Tara and her then partner, Curtis Seeger, were a great support to Hazel in the last years of her life.
Hazel equally loved and supported her chosen grandchildren; Jenny and Alice Hutchings, Chantelle Graf, Janice, Glen and David Crook, and Julie and Linda Huckvale in Blackpool, England.
In 2004, Hazel moved to the Williams Lake Seniors Village. The family greatly appreciated the friends who visited her regularly there.
Hazel will be mourned by her daughter-in-law Neera in Ottawa; granddaughter Tara in New Jersey; niece Christena in Vancouver, nephews Ernie (Brodie) and Richard (Ajax) as well as her extended family and many friends.
Hazel's funeral service will be held at St. Andrews United Church, at 1000 Huckvale Place, in Williams Lake today, Thursday, August 31, 2006 at 1:00 p.m.
In her memory donations may be made to the Cariboo Foundation, 201-35 South Second Avenue. Williams Lake, B.C. V2G-3W3 or to the Neil Huckvale memorial Scholarship, Department of Geography, Carleton University, Ottawa.
