18 March1931 – 27 January2017
Ella passed away suddenly in her sleep in the early morning of 27th of January at her residence at Ironwood Place in Campbell River. Ella is survived by her son Donald (Carol Johnston-Olney) Schibler and two grandsons Shane Schibler and Cody Schibler all of Campbell River as well as her sister-in-law’s Shirley (Luebke) Steele of Vancouver; Ann (Scarff) Steele of Victoria and siblings Frances & Howard Steele of Courtenay and numerous nieces & nephews. Ella was predeceased by her husband Jack Donald Schibler on November 22, 2006 whom she married in Courtenay at the home of her parents, Margaret (Johnston) and Thomas Steele on August 10, 1953. She met Jack while boarding at the home of his parents Gunhild & Logan Schibler in Owen Bay on Sonora Island where she taught school in a one room school with 7 grades for the school term of Sept 1951 to June 1952. Her teaching career came abruptly to an end when she suffered a float plane crash in the Campbell River Estuary the Spring of 1952. She is also predeceased by her parents Thomas Herbert Steele born in Huntsville, Ontario died 14 Sept. 1972 Delta; Margaret Elizabeth born in Olden Twp., Frontenac Co., Ontario died 21 July 1991 Cumberland; also, siblings brother Frederick Steele 3 Feb 1957 Vancouver; brother Grant Steele 7 Dec 1982 Comox; Phyllis Lamay Jan 2005 Kelowna; Lorraine Robinson May 2005 Alberta. Ella was born 18 Mar 1931 Wild Rose Twp., Prince Albert, Saskatchewan on the family farm during the Great Depression. The entire family minus eldest brother Frederick, who was married, moved to Courtenay in 1949 where the children completed their schooling. Upon graduation in Courtenay, Ella traveled to Victoria where she boarded with families while attending Teachers College. After her marriage to Jack, she spent a few years cooking for Jack and George Parsons in their logging camp around Ramsey Arm. The white house that Jack built in Owen Bay was floated by barge in 1962 up the Campbell River Estuary and moved on to their Perkins Road property where she continued to reside until her final 4 years when she moved to Ironwood Place. Until retirement, Ella worked in the mail order outlets of Eaton’s until it closed then at Sears in Campbell River. However, she continued to work in her home doing some bookkeeping for small local businesses. In her free time, gardening was a passion, she enjoyed sewing, loved to dance and was an avid reader. Most would not know that she had a wonderful musical gift and in her youth, played numerous musical instruments. A Celebration of Life will be held near the end of the month at Sutton’s Funeral Home. In Lieu of flowers, please donate to the Heart & Stroke Foundation.