Robert (Bob) of Chetwynd BC passed away on March 1, 2014 at the age of 90 years. Born in Salmon Arm BC to Arthur (Dude) and Janet Edwards, he was the eighth child of ten siblings. Bob married our mother Beatrice in July 1948, four girls and one boy rounded out their marriage. They were married sixty-three years, until the passing of our mother in 2011. Dad suffered several strokes in 2010 and was hospitalized until the time of his passing this month. The last year dad spent in Rotary Manor in Dawson Creek.
Dad was just eight years old when his mother passed away. Dude kept the entire family of ten together thru-out the dirty thirties. The older siblings soon were leaving to start their own families and some were going to war. Dad joined the 1st Battalion Rocky Mountain Rangers in 1940, but because he was the oldest of the two younger siblings he was discharged after three months to take care of his younger sister and brother, as our grandfather was quite sick at this time.
Dad had a very limited education but that never stopped him from working or enjoying life. Over his life time he worked as a donkey puncher, cat skinner, deck hand, general laborer and carpenter. He worked on the railways near Prince Rupert, helped to build the power project at Bridge River BC. He also logged on many sites along the coast. Dad also drove truck, starting at an early age; dad saw a great deal of BC and Alberta from the driver’s seat. He even drove truck from a while on the Alaska Highway. Dad’s last job before retiring for good was a camp attendant for the oil patch here in northern BC.
When dad wasn’t working he loved to putter in his work shop. He was the greatest carpenter, building our family house on Gabriola Island in the sixties and seventies. We think his greatest joy was when he could take a derelict object and make it into a new and useful object again. He especially loved to work with wood. Many of his makeovers are still with us as wonderful memories of him.
Dad was predeceased by his mother, father and eight of his siblings, as well as our mom Beatrice and our sister Nancy.
Dad is survived by his sister Joanie, three girls Lorraine (Brian), Lynne (Bob), Marjorie (Dave) and his son Brian (Allison), 9 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and their families.
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.
Arrangements were entrusted to Bergeron Funeral Services & Crematorium Ltd.
Expressions of sympathy in memory of Robert, may be made by the donation to the Salvation Army, National Processing Centre, P.O. Box 8200, Winnipeg, Manitoba, R3C 4W5.