John was born, in Larvik, Norway, and passed away in Powell River after a recent battle with Parkinson’s disease.
He is survived by his wife Sylvia, sons Owen and Roy (Donna), daughter Lucinda (Wiley), grandchildren Shandi (Will), Shaylene (Lyle), Lewis and Shelby, great-grandchildren Alexandria and Rain, and extended family in Canada and Norway.
John joined the merchant marines in Norway and left on a ship at 19 years old. He met Sylvia while he was in port off the MS Powell River, decided to settle in town and went to work for the paper mill’s shipping department.
During the 28 years John worked for the mill, he was also busy raising a family, maintaining his home and landscaping his property. Other hobbies he enjoyed were gardening, looking after livestock and collecting bottles, coins and hockey cards. An avid hockey fan, one of his favourite things to do was to watch his team, the Montreal Canadiens, play.
The family would like to thank Doctor Elliot, the staff at Powell River General Hospital and the staff at Evergreen Care Unit for the exceptional care.
A celebration of life will be held at 1:30 pm on Saturday, June 10, at Stubberfield Funeral Home.