December 2, 1939 – November 11, 2020
at the age of 80 years
Harry William Kornak passed away after a lengthy illness on Nov. 11, 2020 at Hospice House in Kamloops with his family around him. His sense of humor and legendary appetite will be missed by family and friends. He was born in Yorkton, Saskatchewan to Steven and Anna Kornak who had immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine. Harry was the youngest of four siblings: sisters Elizabeth Luce and Marty Otchenash and brother Ted.
After graduating high-school at St. Joseph`s College, he worked in the bank in Rosetown so he could play hockey for the town team. That was followed by a job surveying for B.B. Torchinsky & Co. putting in sewer and water in small towns and building grid roads. After marrying Pat in 1966 in Saskatoon he went to work for H.M.C. Harrison surveying for the sinking of the shaft for Allen Potash mine. When that was completed he went back to school rather than taking the company’s next job which would have been in South America. He graduated with a degree in Pharmacy in 1974. The family, now with three kids, moved to Williams Lake, BC to take a job with Spencer Dickie Drugs. In 1981 he started a drugstore with partner Adeline Hamm.
Harry and Pat retired to Chase in 2004 where they continued to enjoy golf, curling, travel, and enjoyed time with many friends old and new. He will be greatly missed by his wife Pat, his sons Scot (Patti) of Calgary, Craig of Vancouver, and daughter Deanna McArthur (Ian) of Coquitlam, and granddaughters Christina and Andrea. Thank you to Dr. Lorenz, Dr. Main and the Oncology nurses, to the doctors and the staff at Royal Inland and to Dr. Baker and all the comforting and caring staff at Marjorie Willowby Snowdon Hospice. A funeral mass was held Nov 14 with limited attendance. A celebration of life will be held on Chase golf course in the summer with a 21 club salute. Donations in his memory can be made to Hospice House.
January 11, 1945 – November 11, 2020
at the age of 75 years:
Alice pulled the lever on the buffalo game one last time. Our beautiful mother, grandmother, aunt, sister and beloved wife, will not be leaving anymore donations at the casino. On November 11/2020, she hit the jackpot and was reunited with the love of her life, Bob. Alice (the matriarch of her family) was the fourth of eight children born in Lestock, Saskatchewan, on January 11/1945. She was predeceased by her husband Bob, sisters Barbara, Madeline, Marie and brother John. She is survived by her children: Richard, Christine (Irwin), Sheila (Darcy), Bobbi-Lee (Jamie), her youngest Jill, and many grandchildren who she loved dearly, Dean, Amie, Olivia, Mikey, Robbie and William. She leaves behind the “sista hood”, Doreen (Bob) Byers, Linda (Myles) Chapin, and brother Robert (Judy) Trefiak.
Alice would not want a typical sad obituary. She was all about happy time, lots of laughs and family memories.
Alice came from a large family, raised by their mother, Olga. This adversity in her life did not deter her. She was a cheerleader at a young age and beauty pageant contestant with the brains of an aspiring lawyer when she met her life mate, Bob (it didn’t hurt that he had the fastest car in town). They proceeded to build an empire. After falling in love, they moved to British Columbia in 1967 and married in 1968. They adopted 3 children in 1971, then Alice got pregnant with Bobbi-Lee in 1973 (Surprise) and along came Jill in 1975 (Surprise again). Alice absolutely loved children and wished she had more. Shortly after, they moved to a small farm in Maple Ridge, where they raised Clydesdales, chickens, pigs, cows, dogs and cats. Alice was very involved with the local 4-H club and her children all raised steers for competitions. As a proud Ukrainian woman and a family favorite, Alice would load up hers and the neighbor’s kids in the motor home, to drive then to Ukrainian school on Friday evenings. Her Catholic religion and Ukrainian ethnicity were very important to her. She had a huge heart and was an amazing mentor. As the family grew, they decided to expand to a larger acreage in Mission, where they built the home of their dreams. As her chicks slowly started leaving the nest, she decided to take the real estate course. Alice was very successful at this and was top producer in her office for many months. Believe it or not her original plan was to become a lawyer, but unfortunately she ran into health issues along the way that redirected her path. Eventually they moved to the sunny Shuswap where she continued her real estate career. She also became known for her newspaper worthy Christmas tree/forest. With over 20 years of being a reputable realtor, she finally decided to retire. Her new passion was donating to any casino she came across and the odd time taking home winnings from her favorite “Buffalo” game. She overcame her fear of flying by discovering Las Vegas. Alice joined her local Probus and Lions clubs, where she had many laughs with fellow members. She was a legendary role model for all and left behind amazing memories and enough treasures to open up a thrift store. Alice was an inspiration to all who knew her and will be greatly missed.
It was important to Alice and her family to send a huge “Thank You” to a very special friend of her husband, Gary Koo, for all the help he has done for them over the years.
Do zustrichi (see you soon)
January 23, 1927 – November 5, 2020:
Nick passed away Nov 5, 2020 at age 93.
Nick was born in Schipluiden, Holland, January 23, 1927 the eldest of 13 children. He is survived by his spouse of 24 years Dinah, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, his 3 sisters in Holland; Paula (Freek) Toos and Til, sisters-in-law Thea and Ingrid as well as many nieces and nephews.
Nick came to Canada in 1954. He worked in dairy, construction and the forestry industry. In 1975 he moved to Malakwa where he drove logging truck and gardened. In 1996 he moved to Bundus Road, Sicamous where he resided until his passing.
Nick was a strong willed, kind and quiet man who worked hard all his life. His passion was gardening and he took great pride in growing huge onions and English cucumbers. He supplied vegetables to many people over the years.
A memorial will be held in the summer when family and friends can gather again.
Thanks for all the help and support from friends and neighbours
Thanks as well for the compassion and caring of the nurses at Shuswap Lake General Hospital and the caregivers from Interior Health Home Support
January 23, 1943 – October 30, 2020
at the age of 77 years:
A celebration of Charlie’s life will be held Friday, July 22, 2022 at 1:00 p.m. at Fischer’s Funeral Services, Salmon Arm
Charles Francis McCarthy, age 77, passed away peacefully on Friday, October 30, 2020 at Kamloops Seniors Village in Kamloops, British Columbia. “Charlie,” as he was known, was a skillful forestry executive, amateur musician, and natural athlete. Throughout his varied life he was known for his love of song and sport, as well as his shrewd and analytical eye.
Born on January 23, 1943 in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Charlie was the youngest of Bart and Frances (née Harrigan) McCarthy’s two children. At the age of three, the family moved from their cattle ranch near Piapot, SK to Salmon Arm, BC. Charlie had fond childhood memories of helping with chores at the family’s auto court (motel and cabins near McGuire Lake), mowing lawns for spending money, and playing several sports including baseball, hockey, lacrosse, water skiing, and basketball. A high school basketball knee injury slowly worsened over time, eventually restricting him to recreational rather than competitive sports.
Charlie met Barbara Alice Dagneau (née Bedford) in high school. They married shortly after finishing their studies at the University of British Columbia, Charlie receiving his Bachelor of Science degree. Their dancing skills remain legendary among the family. The young couple moved often while Charlie pursued a career in the forest industry, including to Sicamous, BC and Smith, AB, as well as a year spent travelling and working in the southeastern United States. They then settled in Salmon Arm and started a family, welcoming two boys. The family enjoyed many satisfying summers at their sparse but homey cabin on Shuswap Lake, where Charlie taught his sons to waterski, among other adventures.
Charlie was promoted to management positions at Federated Co-operatives’ Canoe, BC sawmill and plywood plant, eventually becoming Senior Vice President in charge of those facilities for many years during the 1980s and 1990s. He belonged to local service clubs such as Kinsmen and Rotary, as well as several forest industry associations. Significant health issues led to his early retirement in 1998, after which he and Barbara travelled by trailer across the southwestern USA. Following his divorce from Barbara, Charlie moved to Kelowna, BC, where he spent the next 10 years.
Charlie had an early and lifelong love of music. It was fostered by a piano-playing mother and older sister, and a father known for singing and memorized poetry recitations, skills that Charlie inherited. Charlie became an accomplished trumpet player during his school years. He returned to the trumpet more persistently in the 1990s upon joining Dixie North, the Salmon Arm-based Dixieland band with whom he played until well after his retirement. However, Charlie’s primary musical love and constant companion was big band jazz. Among the numerous jazz festivals and concerts he attended, he saw live performances of both his trumpet-playing heroes, Louis Armstrong and Maynard Ferguson. Despite health declines and a serious stroke in 2018, he never lost his love of music, rhythm, and singing. Charlie moved to Kamloops in 2019, closer to his sons.
Charlie loved his family and strove to support them to the best of his abilities, even during trying times. All who knew him will remember his carefree joy when spontaneously singing along to jazz, his famous annual St. Patrick’s Day dress-up celebrations, and countless other stories that will be recounted for years to come, as Charlie would have wanted. His family and friends will dearly miss him.
Charlie is survived by his sons Chad (Sarah) and Brook (Diana), granddaughter Alice, sister Dawna Dinning (Chuck), and Dawna’s sons Dean and Gordon. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, a memorial gathering and Celebration of Life tea will be announced at a future date when attendance restrictions are relaxed.
The family would like to express its gratitude to Dr. Wynne and the caring staff at both Kamloops Seniors Village and Lakeview Lodge in West Kelowna, BC. Memorial contributions may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.
