Ramier, Annie Marie Thursday, 19 Oct 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Annie Marie (Annie) Ramier was born on July 22, 1996 at the B.C. Women's Hospital and peacefully passed away on Oct. 19, 2006 in Williams Lake at the tender age of 10. Annie and her mom Jan lived in Baker Manor where they were blessed to have many great friends and neighbours.
Annie spent three years attending the Cariboo-Chilcotin Child Development Centre going to play time therapy and preschool.
Upon graduation from preschool Annie enrolled at Ecole Marie Sharpe elementary.
She was in Grade 5 this year and had gone to school with several of the children since Kindergarten. She was blessed to have the help of Robin, Lucy and Laura throughout her school years to care for her and keep her involved in all activities.
Annie was always happy to go to school and looked forward to 'Betty Bus' coming in the morning to pick her up.
She loved the way the other children and teachers stimulated her to do things. She was an inspiration to all of us and a very good teacher herself.
After a very trying spring with spine surgery and infections she bounced right back and had a wonderful summer smiling and laughing all the time. She was a very contented child who loved to be read to. And music was a big part of her life.
Annie is survived by her mom Jan, her grandparents Marj and Alan Blair of Williams Lake; Fern and Carl Prince of Woodstock, Ontario; and Tom and Nettie Ramier of Washington State.
She is also survived by several aunts, uncles and cousins from all across Canada. Annie also leaves behind many friends whom she touched deeply and will miss her dearly.
A celebration of life was held for Annie on Friday, Oct. 27, 2006 at the Seniors' Activity Centre.
In Annie's memory, donations can be made to the 139 Children's Fundraising Society of the British Columbia Children's Hospital.
Sinclair, Clarence Friday, 13 Oct 2006
Williams Lake, BC
Clarence Lloyd Sinclair born Sept. 17, 1934 in Lake Francis, Manitoba, passed away Oct.13, 2006 at the age of 72.
Clarence spent many years as a truck driver and loader operator here in the Cariboo. When he wasn't working he enjoyed hunting, camping, fishing and spending time with family.
He passed away quickly and will be greatly missed by his wife Clara; his children Lori Fagg (Ian Sopp), Theron (Shelli) Sinclair, Shannon (Terry) McKeeman and Faron (Karen) Sinclair.
He is also greatly missed by his grandchildren Carrie (Kevin) Benastick; Amanda Bedard; Dustin Micheal and Sheldon McKeeman; Robert Fagg; Blain and Dylan Sinclair; and his great-grandchildren Kyle and Katelyn Benastick.
Walters, Leonard Saturday, 07 Oct 2006
Williams Lake, BC
On Oct. 7, 2006, Leonard Fredrick Walters passed away at the age of 78. We would personally like to thank the staff at Cariboo Memorial Hospital for their excellent care given to him on his final days.
He passed away quickly and will be greatly missed by his children Larry and Louise, Jill, Pati, Bonny and Lee and Shelley, as well as his nine grandchildren and four great grandchildren. A service will be held on Nov. 5, 2006 at the Horsefly Community Club.
Miss you dad and will cherish your stories forever. Lee.
Powell, Earle Malcolm Wednesday, 14 Mar 2007
Sooke, BC
In loving memory of a dear husband, father and grandfather (papa), Earle passed away peacefully March 14, 2007.
Loving memories never die,
As years roll on and days pass by;
Deep in our hearts a memory is kept
Of one we loved and never will forget. Always remembered by his loving wife of 66 years, Margaret, children Gary (Nita), Bill (Debbie), Rick (Shelley), Glen (Sharon), Kathy (Bob), Laurie (Ed), and Shannon, 14 grandchildren, 11 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild. Earle will be remembered as a man who made friends wherever he went.
A Memorial Service was held at Sands Funeral Chapel (Colwood) on March 20 @ 11:00 with interment at Hatley Memorial Gardens. In Lieu o flowers a donation to the Firefighter Burn Fund (2504 Richmond Road) or charity of choice would be appreciated.
Spackman, Victor Monday, 12 Mar 2007
Sooke, BC
Victor Spackman died peacefully at home surrounded by friends and family on March 12, 2007. Born in Ardath, Saskatchewan in 1919, he was pre-deceased by his parents, Walter and Arena Spackman, brothers Harry, Jim and Ronald, and his sister Verna Scott. Vic is survived by his wife Joan, daughter Fern, nieces, nephews and their families, and a very large “family” of friends. Heartfelt thanks are extended to Dr. Polock, the Home & Community Care nurses and the Juan de Fuca Home Support workers who helped fulfill dad’s wish to die at home. A memorial service will be held March 24, 2007, at 2 pm in the Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, 2207 Church Road, Sooke BC.
ROBINSON, WILLIAM JOHN (JACK) Sunday, 11 Mar 2007
Sooke, BC
1941-2007
Captain Jack age 65 of Queen Charlotte, B.C. suffered a heart attack and died suddenly in Thailand on March 11, 2007. Predeceased by parents, Ed and Jean Robinson; Jack is survived by sons; Doug Robinton, Errington, B.C.; Kai Robinson, Victoria, B.C. and daughter, Chloe (Matt) Nyeholt, Port Clements, B.C.; grandchildren, Thea Robinton, Saskatchewan; and Chelsea Barnicott, Port Clements, B.C. He is survived by his brother, Donald (Evelyn) Robinson, Sooke, B.C. as well as cousins, nephews and niece. Memorial and interment will be held in Queen Charlotte.
Branchaud, Gilles Branchaud Thursday, 08 Mar 2007
Sooke, BC
With great sadness we announce the passing of Gilles Branchaud after a courageous battle with cancer. Gilles leaves behind his loving wife Sharon of 39 years along with his family of nine and their families; Lori (Dennis), Tom (Denise & Shannon), Angelle Brown (son Jesse), Bill Canning (Carla), Sherry (Robin, Sean & Patti Vernon), Joyce (Paul, Lyhle & Jordan Coultas), Janice (Dave, Tyler & Olivia Flint), Joel (Susan Alisha, Dustin, Derek (Carl & Tiffany)) and pre-deceased by his youngest son Mark Branchaud. Gilles will also be missed by his surviving siblings back east; Anita, Paul, John and Gisele and all their families. As well, left to mourn are the many friends Gilles made in the Community while volunteering for the last 15 years at the Food Bank’s, Meals on Wheels and the Senior Centre which gave him such great pleasure.
Heartfelt thanks are extended to all the people from the Sooke and Victoria Hospice, Home care support workers, Doctor’s and the Sooke Shopper’s Drugmart.
THOMPSON, JUDY Saturday, 24 Feb 2007
Sooke, BC
JUDY THOMPSON, born January 7, 1941 in Wetaskiwin, AB, passed away peacefully on February 24, 2007 after suffering a stroke. Judy dedicated her life to building Sooke Chicken Farm into a successful family business. She was leader in agriculture for many years and contributed to the sector selflessly for decades in performance of her duties as a past president of both the Island Growers Association and the Canadian Federation of Agriculture to name a few. She is survived by her children Laurie Poirier & Rick Poirier (son-in-law), Shelley Godin & Mike Godin (son-in-law) and Jim Thompson as well as her grandchildren Megan, Erin, Devin, Ian, Evelyn & Alex and her first great-grandchild Tiffany. Judy will be missed by all those whose lives she touched. A special thanks to Dr. Robin Saunders and to the staff of VGH 6a/b for their tender care and emotional suport. There will be memorial service to celebrate Judy's Life on Saturday, March 24 at 4pm at the Legion hall in Sooke (Eustace Road). Donations to the Sooke Food Bank, PO Box 983, Sooke, BC. VOS 1NO. In lieu of flowers.
Lorimer, J. Duncan Tuesday, 20 Dec 2005
Sooke, BC
1919 - 2005
A farm home upbringing in North Sooke, a one-room schoolhouse and correspondence courses were the background that led to a happy family life, successful career and international recognition for John Duncan Lorimer.
Born in Delacour, Alberta in 1919, Duncan was the third of five children of Scottish parents Keith and Isabella Lorimer. Keith and Isabella had met in 1914 when they were passengers crossing the Atlantic to Canada on the liner Hesperian. Isabella Lorimer was a graduate nurse, a credential that stood her in good stead as she raised her children, at first on a prairie farm, and later when the family moved to North Sooke, in a relatively isolated community without medical facilities.
Arriving here in 1924, the family bought the two-storey frame farmhouse built by Aaron Gent which stood at the corner of Sooke Road and Gillespie Road. (Note: this was the building known later as Highway Corner Store, which went up in flames in 1982.) The farm had twelve acres under cultivation; they owned three horses, two for farm work and one to pull the buggy when they made trips to the post office and store at Milnes Landing. Basic living was not as easy as today, for instance bathing required hand-pumping water, heating it on the woodstove and pouring into a galvanized washtub. The children, brothers Malcolm, George, Duncan, sister Margaret and youngest brother James, grew up creating their games and playthings from their own imaginations. Like many families growing up in the depression years, toys and entertainment were mostly home-made. They owned their first radio in 1937. The siblings even wrote and produced their own weekly newspaper, each of the five with their own feature section. School classes were at the one-room North Sooke School, grades one to eight, with anywhere from 10 to 16 pupils. After 8th grade, the children took their schooling at home by correspondence. An example of the grounding Duncan was given by his family was demonstrated when he announced in grade nine that he was leaving school to go to work. His mother‚s response „You will do no such thing. You will finish high school first.‰ For his grade 11 year, Duncan decided to bicycle the five miles to Sooke Superior School which had classes extending to grade 11, thus allowing the opportunity to participate in basketball games and social life. For grade 12 it was back to the correspondence courses to graduate. In 1937 he joined the Canadian Scottish Regiment.
Finding work was a challenge; Dunc got a job at Ragley, the Walker estate in East Sooke, farm work at Gordon Head where he milked nine goats before breakfast in the morning, and even went to Alberta looking for farm work.
When war was declared in September 1939 the three eldest Lorimer boys joined immediately, followed later by Jimmie. In 1939 Duncan married a Sooke girl who worked in the Milne‚s Landing telephone exchange, Betty Lock. Going overseas to active service in 1941, Duncan was wounded in Normandy in 1944.
He was discharged in 1945, with the rank of Lieutenant Lorimer. After attending Victoria College and UBC, Duncan joined the staff of Victoria High School. Duncan and Betty made their home in Victoria and raised three sons and a daughter. His teaching career included serving as vice-principal both at Lansdowne Junior High and at Vic High, and then his final fifteen-year stint as principal of Victoria High, where he retired in 1979.
His caring connection to his community kept him involved in retirement, serving on the boards of the Victoria Community Chest and of the Royal Jubilee Hospital. He also served many years as treasurer of the regimental trustees for his battalion, the 1st Canadian Scottish. He was a supportive member of the Sooke Region Historical Society and of the Sooke Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, where he was part of the Sooke Pipe Band during the 1990s.
Eldest brother Malcolm became a mining engineer and youngest brother James, who became a lawyer, served as an MLA and Cabinet Minister in the government of Premier Dave Barrett. Sister Margaret married a Sooke farmer Wilf Strong, and the couple now live in retirement at Logan Lake.
Of the four brothers, the one who did not return from the war was George. Not long ago Duncan approached the provincial government to have an area landmark named for his late brother, and today local walkers on the Galloping Goose pass Lorimer Point as they head east towards Gillespie Road.
Longtime friend Audrey Wilson says „I have so many memories of Dunc Lorimer, my earliest, he was one of the „big boys‰ when we both attended Sooke Superior School, and my latest, as a good friend when he and Betty attended activities at the Legion and the museum in Sooke.
Crowning his long career was the award ceremony in July of 2004, when Duncan Lorimer's distinguished war service was recognized as one of 30 Canadians presented with Frances Legion of Honour.
The funeral for Duncan Lorimer was held December 30th at McCall Bros. in Victoria, where the overflowing crowds showed their affection for this remarkable citizen.
