February 26, 1936 – January 19, 2025
at the age of 88 years:
My Dad, Frank, was born in Wolverhampton, England. He is predeceased by his mom, Lydia; his dad, George Frederick; my Mam, Elizabeth Connolly Woodward; and his three brothers, John, Paul, and George. We used to joke that he was the fourth Beatle, Ringo.
Dad leaves behind me (Myhrr), his son-in-law of 45 years, Dave, granddaughter Laura (Rob), granddaughters Coco and Brookie, and grandson Kelly, as well as his best friend, Lionel Smith, whom I call Uncle Lionel.
Dad and Uncle Lionel were joined at the hip, two peas in a pod, and they got into all sorts of trouble together. Both were born during the war and did what they had to do to help their parents survive. They were the terrors of Minehead and Stanley Roads (or so Dad told me). They were Wolverhampton’s version of Zoot Suit Guys, Teddy Boys, and pre-Beatle bad boys.
Dad told me that when he was little, he and Lionel would go along the railroad tracks to pick up coal that fell off the coal trains. They would take some home to their families and sell the rest, giving the money to their moms to help out.
Dad started working in England at age eight. Anyone from the UK will know Roger the Dodger—well, that was my dad and Lionel. Like the “Bash Street” kids, Dad, Lionel, and their other friends Mike Badger and Geoff Palmer used to hang around together, wreaking havoc in a good way. When Dad was nine, he saved his money and bought a crystal radio set, and there began his lifelong love of everything electronic. Dad was an electronics engineer. He took electronics at W’ton Polytech and worked for Phillips in W’ton. We moved to Canada in 1967.
Dad worked at Clairtone Electronics in Toronto and Winnipeg. In 1968, he developed a tiny transistor radio, and sold the rights to Clairtone for $500, a vast sum for those days. Clairtone made millions from my dad’s invention. I was blessed enough to have the prototype for many years, until it burned in a house fire in 1986.
Dad was really ahead of his time. I remember in Winnipeg he took me out of school for the day, and we went to a local electronics convention put on by Clairtone. He told me that day, that one day there would be a computer in everyone’s home, that we’d carry phones in our pockets, and we’d be able to order groceries from our fridges. Dad was a genius when it came to computing. He taught himself calculus and was a pre BASIC coder. He could do anything on a computer, even if it took him hours to learn, he’d code at home in his study at night, and call me in to watch what he did. It took him six hours one night to code something that that made a bell ring. Through hard work and determination, he rose up from the slums. His family was very poor, they had no money, were almost homeless at times, and he started working at eight years old to help his mom and dad make ends meet. Dad knew the value of the spoken word. He could sell anything to anyone. He’d make a person believe that his product was the best, and the person couldn’t live without it. He had a great gift of the gab. In 1969, we moved to Coquitlam from Winnipeg. Dad worked as a welding rod salesman because he couldn’t find another job, and he made the biggest sales in Arctec Weldings’ history. He told me and my Mam that he was going to Squamish for the day to make a sale. He made a sale alright, he sold over $2,000 in welding rods to MacMillan Bloedel in one day, and in one month made over $30,000 in sales to other outfits and sawmills. When he left Arctec, he was able to pay cash for his first house and put lots of money in the bank. In 1970, he became a teacher at Northwest Community College in Terrace, where he taught Electronics with Al Naherny. There, he and Mam made lifelong friends, Harry and Sheila Jackson, Bob and Audrey Smythe, and all his friends at the college. We moved back to Vancouver in 1973, and he worked at RCA as a development specialist. We moved back to Terrace in 1976, and Dad taught at the college from then until 1984. He retired from teaching and worked as a development specialist at Alcan in Kemano. Dad loved working at Alcan. He met his other lifelong friend, Bob Schwarzfirm. In 1979, he welcomed my hubby Dave into the family, and in 1982, he welcomed our daughter Laura into the family. Both Laura and his great granddaughters, Coco and Brookie inherited his love of computers. Dad said that he’d never seen kids that could work on computers like Coco and Brooke. When I told him that the kids were learning to code and make their own games from scratch, Dad said of course they are, they take after me, don’t they.
In 1985, Dad married Johanna, and they were married until 2014. My stepsister Cindy had a son in April 1990, named Kelly, whom dad considered a grandson.
My dad had a beautiful voice, he played guitar, and the trump trombone. Dad could fart better than anyone I knew. He had an amazing farting repertoire and could play God save the King/Queen, Oh Canada, We’ll Meet Again, Twist and Shout. He was the toot of the town in his youth, and his nickname was Flamin’ A** Frank. He was W’ton’s own Le Petomane and could have rivaled Mr Methane had he pursued a career as a flatulist. He could imitate the sounds of a tommy gun, a rocket launcher and other instruments of power.
My dad had a wonderful sense of humor and was a born comedian.
You will be missed.
November 6, 1936 – January 18, 2025
at the age of 88 years:
Harold Shaffer Ingram passed away of respiratory illness January 18, 2025 in the Shuswap Lake General Hospital, Salmon Arm, BC.
Harold is survived by his older sister Edna Stanyer, younger brother Keith Ingram (Joan), his 4 sons, Timothy (Debbie), Shawn, Darren and Brian Ingram, many grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his father Irving, his mother Mrytle, brother Charlie, brother Neil, his first wife Betty and his second wife Gerda.
Harold enjoyed many years as a successful insurance salesman, and as a very good long-haul truck driver. He enjoyed talking about all of the places he visited and the interesting people he encountered along the way. After retiring from the trucking industry, Harold started a new career in the renovation business due to his love of carpentry.
Harold moved to Salmon Arm, BC from Edmonton, Alberta in 2015. He wanted to enjoy life and get back to what he loved most; farm life, working in his wood shop and long uninterrupted talks with everyone he met. Harold enjoyed a great conversation; the stories were endless.
Our hearts are broken, Harold will be missed terribly and loved forever.
Harold’s celebration of life will take place in Edmonton, Alberta in the coming months.
April 5, 1986 – January 18, 2025
at the age of 38 years:
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 26, 2025 from 1 – 4 p.m. at the 5th Avenue Seniors Centre, Salmon Arm
November 3, 1934 – January 16, 2025
at the age of 90 years: Ivan Christian Koch born in Langenburg, SK passed away peacefully in his sleep in Salmon Arm
IIvan was a long time resident of Salmon Arm having moved from Hinton, AB to Tappen in 1986. He was a business man owning and operating M&K Radiator and Engine Rebuilders. Ivan and his wife Bernice lived in Tappen for many years and hosted many get togethers, family functions, and special occasions at their beautiful property which brought them both a lot of joy. One thing they both looked forward to was having their granddaughters every year and making each summer magical with visits to Harold Park, Margaret Falls, trips to Saskatchewan, visiting family, and swimming lessons in the Shuswap.
Bernice passed away in 2001 after a battle with cancer and in 2002 Ivan moved to Ravencroft in Salmon Arm and got a new lease on life with his partner, Janice Wagner. They lived there until 2015 then moved to McIntosh Grove where he stayed until his passing.
He was well known in the community for his accordion playing. He would often perform either in a band or solo in many places around Salmon Arm. His love of music shone brightly when he played. Music was a true passion of his and he never stopped learning new songs, techniques or ways to feed his passion. He had an infectious laugh and always had a joke ready to tell. His ability to remember every joke he’d ever heard was amazing and he had such a wonderful sense of humour which we will all miss greatly. He adored his partner Janice and all of their many adventures and felt truly blessed to have her by his side. Ivan passed peacefully in his sleep which was his wish and we are grateful that he was able to go the way he wanted.
He leaves behind his partner Janice Wagner(Salmon Arm, BC), his daughter Donna Kostiuk and partner Dave Robinson(Chilliwack, BC), his granddaughters Airin Kostiuk and partner Brent Hamborg(Edson,Ab), Leah Kostiuk and partner Travis Potts(Leduc, AB) and 6 great grandchildren Skyla, Olivia,Odin, Cohen, Cooper, and Harper as well as Janice’s family members and friends from Salmon Arm, Hinton and everywhere in between. He also leaves behind his siblings Ron(Paulette) Koch, Langenburg, Sask. and Elaine(Don) Smith, Yorkton, Sask.and Vern(Elaine) Koch, Hinton AB.
He was predeceased by his first wife Bernice Koch, his son Rick Koch, his brother Jerry Koch and his parents George and Minnie Koch.
He requested that there be no service held although his immediate family will have a celebration of life in the spring.
He will be forever missed and his life will be celebrated in all of the wonderful memories and love he left behind. The impact of his kindness, musical talent, humour and generosity will carry on through those that knew and loved him.
A big thank you to his doctor, Dr. Levin for his exceptional care and to his wonderful friend Clyde Bolstrom for all the love, care, support and friendship he gave Ivan.
Keep smiling, laughing and playing music so we can hear it from the heavens. Love you so much!!
Janaury 18, 1932 – January 16, 2025
at the age of 92 years:
Pauline Florence Lee (nee Nadeau) passed away at Bastion Place, Salmon Arm, B.C. on Thursday, January 16, 2025 just days short of her 93rd birthday.
A private celebration of Pauline’s life will be held at a later date to be determined by the family.
Pauline was born January 18, 1932, in Legers Corner (Dieppe), Westmorland Co. New Brunswick where she spent her early childhood before her family moved to Montreal, Quebec and then to Oshawa, Ontario. After completing high school Pauline met Osborne Lee of Stoney Creek, Ontario whom she married before they moved to Alberta where Osborne studied to become a pastor. Following her husband’s graduation, they worked in central and Atlantic Canada before moving to British Columbia and ultimately retiring and living in Blind Bay.
Pauline’s life was dedicated to supporting her husband in his work and as a homemaker raising two sons, Stephen and Philip and her foster daughter Dee Power. Pauline devoted her creative energy to art, producing many paintings of landscape and still life in the medium of oil paint and pastel. Pauline also produced a number of large scale murals for conventions and for churches.
Pauline is predeceased by her husband, Pastor Osborne Lee. She is lovingly remembered by her family Stephen F. Lee and his wife Phyllis Lee of Salmon Arm, B.C., Philip Lee and his wife Andrea Lee of Westbank, B.C., and a foster daughter Dee Power of Salmon Arm, B.C. as well as her grandchildren Carrie and Jessica and her great-grandchild Alex.
The family wishes to express special thanks to Dr. Warren Bell and the Nursing, care, chaplain and support staff at Bastion Place who provided such attentive care and support for Pauline especially in her closing days. Pauline particularly appreciated the prayers of her Church family and the spiritual care provided by Chris, a chaplain at the Bastion Place.
“I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.” Psalms 116:1
