(1917-2010)
Our family has been blessed. Steve was a great husband, father and grandfather and he will be dearly missed. Dad was born in Kaleland, Alberta, Canada in 1917 to father Samuel Porcina and mother Annie Chaikowski. He lived in Alberta with his brothers Alec, Larry, John and Paul and sisters Annie and Marie on the family farm.
Volunteering September 20, 1939 he served Canada in World War II. He was in one of first Canadian Division to arrive in England of that year and later served in Sicily and Italy as a motorcycle dispatch rider until 1945. While in England he met and married Dora Skears on January 2, 1941. After his return to Canada at the end of the war he was reunited in 1946 with his war bridge Dora Porcina and daughter Mary.
He moved his family to the Radium valley in 1954. Steve started working as the supervisor of the Radium park gates and was then transferred to supervise the swimming pools in the Hot Springs until his retirement. In his spare time he was also the Radium Drive-In Theatre projectionist. Dad loved to read and had immaculate penmanship. He enjoyed fishing and picking wild flowers with us kids for Mom. Together they spent hours in the garden growing a huge assortment of vegetables and creating one of the most beautiful flowers gardens in Edgewater. He has to be commended for his patience and sense of humour with his children, grand-and great-grand kids.
He is survived by his loving wife Dora; daughters, Mary, Margaret and Audrey; and son, Richard. Also nine granddaughters, three grandsons, five great-granddaughters and four great-grandsons. He is predeceased by son David and grandson Javin.
Special thanks to all of the kind caregivers, especially those at Columbia House facility that have shown such caring compassion to Dad in his final years. We would also like to thank the support staff and doctors of both the Invermere and Cranbrook hospitals. They all meant so much to him and his family throughout his final years.
Steve has seen the light and climbed those stairs. Good on you Dad.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the blind and hearing impaired.