Nels Lundgren
Nels passed away November 22, 2014. A memorial service will be held at 1 pm on Friday, November 28, at Evangel Pentecostal Church, 5139 Manson Avenue.
Full obituary to follow.
Primo Zuanella
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our husband, father, grandfather, uncle, brother and friend Primo.
He was born in Rodda Alta, Udine, Italy on January 22, 1932 and died in Powell River on November 24, 2014. Primo is survived by his loving wife Pasqua, three children Mary (Doug) Nauer, Tor (Brandy) Birtig and Rita (Tony) Shigeoka all of Powell River. He is also survived by his grandchildren Alison (Kurt), Kevin, Amanda (Braedon), Darian, Nicole, Hailey, Olivia, Kristi, Lindsey and Brandon, niece Gemma (John) Kennedy of Powell River, nephew Joe (Linda) Martinig of Vancouver, BC, his sister Maria and other relatives all in Italy. Primo was predeceased by his twin brother Secondo and his sister Bruna.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:30 pm Saturday, November 29, 2014 at Church of the Assumption. Prayers will be said at 7 pm on Friday, November 28, also from the Church of the Assumption. Flowers are gratefully declined.
Donations may be made in his name to Canadian Cancer Society, if desired.
Arrangements entrusted to Stubberfield Funeral Home Ltd. Condolences may be directed online to the family.
Kathleen Pearl Hall
Kathleen, known to all her friends as Kate, born June 11, 1926, died peacefully at Berwick Manor, Nanaimo November 21, 2014.
Kate was born a traveller, beginning in England, but raised in Ireland so that her language and customs stamped her as Irish. She spent several years as a teacher with the British Families Education Service in Dusseldorf, Germany where she joined in enthusiastically with the social life and learned to play golf and ski. With the encouragement of a family of friends there, in 1964, she decided to follow them and come to British Columbia. Kate crossed the Atlantic along with her little Volkswagen, landed in Montreal and took the long drive to Vancouver, to find that the last available teaching position was in Quatsino! The little Volkswagen had to be parked at Port Hardy and she took a boat to her new home. There she was welcomed by the local inhabitants, learning all about the generosity of the people, having her cellar filled with venison and salmon, and loving the children who filled her classroom. It was there that she met her lifelong soulmate, John Zitzewitz, the Fisheries Officer, and when he was posted to Powell River, Kate finally made it to her original destination.
Kate taught here until her retirement, sharing with so many children her own love of reading, with a gentle voice that children had to listen to quietly in order to hear the story.
Kate and John, on his retirement, moved to Qualicum, but Powell River was always home to Kate and visits here meant meeting all those children she had known through the years.
She will be remembered as someone who loved life and had so many happy stories to share and who will be deeply missed by all who experienced her gentle nature.
A celebration of life will be held from 2 to 4 pm at Powell River Lawn Bowling Club on Sunday, December 7.
Peter G. H. Kirmis, April 3, 1939 - November 15, 2014
Born in Berlin, Germany, Peter managed to survive the horrors of the war as a very young boy, along with his mother and four siblings. He never knew his father; an enduring sadness for him. Alone, Peter immigrated to Canada at 21 and successfully established himself in Vancouver as a businessman and devout member of the Church of Christ, Oakridge. He married Edie Schmidt and together they had a son Hagen and daughter Karla. When Edie passed away after 25 years of marriage Peter relocated to Powell River where he met Victoria in 1992. They married three years later, in 1995.
Peter was a man of great integrity, energy and intense convictions. He loved to dance, drove race cars as a younger man, liked to sail, building was his passion and gardening was in his soul. He did everything with élan. He had a challenging and varied life and lived it with enthusiasm and determination.
He had a beautiful smile, the most wonderful manners to the end, and was a true gentleman. Peter is loved and will be missed, and is precious to my soul. Gute Nacht mein Schatz.
The family wishes to thank most gratefully the nurses at Olive Devaud Residence and Dr. S. Burns for their wonderful care and staff at Powell River General Hospital who cared for him in his last days. A service will be held at 1 pm Saturday, November 29, at Faith Lutheran Church, 4811 Ontario Avenue.
Archie Blacklock, April 20, 1929 - November 15, 2014
Archie passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his loving family. He was born and raised in Powell River (Cranberry) and was the youngest child of Bill and Agnes Blacklock.
As a young man Archie worked as a whistle punk in the Alaska Pine Valley, drove truck for City Transfer and other jobs before being employed with Powell River municipality for many years. He was the general foreman on the installation of Cranberry and Westview sewer system and road works. After leaving his position with the municipality, Archie was the owner and proprietor of Wilshire’s Varieties store in Cranberry for 30 years. He had many stories and fond memories of the old families, people and history of Cranberry. Not being old enough to fight in the war, Archie was a proud member of the army reserves.
Archie enjoyed his retirement for many years with endless projects up in his shop and his many adventures with Betty and Jake boating along the coast and exploring the US and Canada in their fifth wheel trailer.
Archie was predeceased by his wife Olive, son Bob, brother Jock and grandson Ryan. He is survived by his wife Betty, sister Jean, son Bill (Lesley), daughters Gail, Kim (Dan) Stevens, Terry, Brenda (Dan) Blanch, Sandy (Dan) McLeod, 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
Thank you to Dr. Barrie McDonald and home support nurses for their support and compassion.
There will be a celebration of life for Archie from 1 to 4 pm on Saturday, November 29 at Powell River Town Centre Hotel. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in his memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and/or the BC Lung Association.
Geoffrey Partington
Geoffrey passed away peacefully on November 20, 2014 with his family by his side. He was born on December 27, 1924 and grew up alongside his older brother Robin in North Vancouver, BC. He joined the navy at 17. Following the war he, Robin and their friends, known locally as the “Navy Boys” travelled up coast to Nelson Island. It was there that Geoffrey met Jacquelyn Pettigrew, the love of his life and future wife. Geoffrey made a career with Island Tug and Barge, later Seaspan.
He and Jacquelyn married on the mission boat John Antle and with their daughters Marjorie Ann and Jocelyn divided their time between Blind Bay, Nelson Island and Metchosin on southern Vancouver Island. Geoffrey had a love of the coast and enjoyed beachcombing, prospecting, fishing and boat building. His grandchildren have many fond memories of building “things that float.” Tremclad paint, a great second-hand find and small, hand-built boats will always have special meaning to those who knew him. In 1998 he moved to Powell River and later into Evergreen Extended Care Unit.
Geoffrey was predeceased by his brother Robin and his “clam digging sweetheart” Jacquelyn, to whom he was married for 36 years. He leaves behind daughters Marjorie Ann (Bill) and Jocelyn, grandchildren Wills (Robalin), Garret, Sam (Samantha) and Jacquelyn, great-grandson Liam as well as extended family and many friends.
No service by request. A private memorial will be held at Partington Point. Geoffrey’s family would like to thank the staff at Evergreen for their many years of kind care.
To A Man of the Coast
Another icon left us
to where we do not know.
Hope the waves are not too big
or the headway too slow.
He’s going there before us
our path he does prepare.
To be with those that left us
if only we knew where.
We shall surely miss him
a real man of the coast.
To him and those before him
we salute and give a toast.
~Verse by son-in-law Bill Harding