Raymond Francois Pinel, aged 87 years, passed away peacefully, after a short illness, on January 19 at Evergreen Care Unit in Powell River. He is survived by his wife of 33 years Theresa Pinel and his brothers Rene, Ernest, Maurice and Marcel. He was predeceased by his mother Bibianne, father Olivier and brother Armand.
Raymond was born in Bracken, Saskatchewan, and grew up in Val Marie, where he helped on the farm until he was 18. He then moved to Calgary to frame houses until he was 30. After construction work he got a job in Ocean Falls, and then in 1968, in Powell River in the kraft mill, where he worked until his retirement.
Raymond will be sorely missed by his many friends who appreciated his gentle, humble and caring ways. He volunteered a great deal for Knights of Columbus and took a leadership role when he was the financial secretary for the local organization. He was also a leader of the group Faith and Light for many years. He was a faithful driver for many Faith and Light events and will be remembered for the enthusiasm and joy he brought to the group.
After visiting family in France with his uncle, Raymond developed a love for travel. He and Theresa visited a wide variety of countries over many years. Their travels often included finding family members in Europe and visiting them. He found particular joy in photography and took many travel pictures to preserve the wonderful memories.
Many thanks to the wonderful staff at Evergreen Extended Care for all of their compassionate care over the last two years.
Raymond’s funeral will be at 11 am on Wednesday, January 31, at Assumption Church, 7109 Glacier Street, with a tea to follow. There will be prayers the previous evening at 5 pm, Tuesday, January 30, also at Assumption Church. Please come and join us in honouring Raymond.
