It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Alex Matkoski. Alex was forever a kind and devoted husband, dad and grandfather. He was born in Edmonton on Sept. 18, 1930. He moved to BC when he was 16 and began working on the railway in the Queen Charlottes. In 1953, he started working in Englewood, on Northern Vancouver Island. This is where he met Arlene, his wife of 57 years. Alex and Arlene settled in Woss in 1957, where they enjoyed “camp life” and raised their three children. Alex worked as an engineer on the railway for Canadian Forest Products for 42 years, where he ran numerous steam and diesel-electric locomotives. He was always a dedicated and caring employee, often cleaning, painting and maintaining his work locomotives on his own free time. His favourite loci was the steam engine known as “The 113”. He remained passionate about the railroad and trains. His knowledge of the railway was appreciated by the many people who came to ride the train.
Throughout his working years he developed many friendships, which lasted a lifetime. When he retired in 1995, he and Arlene moved to Campbell River. Their retirement was spent enjoying numerous trips to Las Vegas or taking bus tours to various casinos in BC, Washington, and Nevada. He loved to gamble!!
When Alex became a survivor of prostate cancer, he was active with the Prostate Awareness Group, participating in many fundraisers that supported the cause. Alex enjoyed gardening and was well known for his neatly kept yards. He was an avid Vancouver Canucks fan and rarely missed watching a game. He was an overly generous and gentle man, with a wonderful sense of humour. who loved his family and his pets. He will be greatly missed but never forgotten. He is survived by his wife Arlene, and his children Bev (Danny), Wayne (Pam), Leslie (Raymond) and his grandchildren Lindsay, Leah, Jenna, Rebecca and Kaitlyn. A special thank you to the caring staff at New Horizons, their resident dog “York”, and Dr. Gunther Klein. As per Alex’s wishes there will be no memorial service. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations to www.pads.ca (Pacific Assistance Dogs Society), phone 1-604-527-0556, Burnaby, BC