May 24, 1924 -August 12, 2014
Frank passed away peacefully in his sleep. Predeceased by his wife Silvana and his brother Joe, he is survived by his sister Anna, his sons Ocean (Amanda) and Mike (Laurie), and his granddaughters Rachel, Elizabeth, and Katelyn.
Frank was born in St. Galen, Switzerland. He was the oldest of three children and was raised by his single mother, Rosina. As a youth, he worked sweeping the market floors after school to contribute to the household income. Like all Swiss men, he served two years in the Swiss army where he was also a marching drummer. He was trained and apprenticed as a machinist.
Frank met Silvana in 1947 in Lausanne, Switzerland when she moved there to find work from Florence, Italy after the war. They married in 1948 and in 1949 they made a notable trip on Frank’s motorcycle to Florence to meet her family.
Frank and Silvana immigrated to Canada in 1952. Like so many other immigrants from Europe, they entered Canada at Pier 49 in Halifax. Some stayed in the Maritimes, but the rest of the new arrivals embarked across Canada by train. Many got off at Montreal and Toronto, but Frank and Silvana were headed for BC because Frank had done his research and being Swiss and an avid outdoorsman, he wanted to be where the mountains were.
After a year, living in New Westminster, doing odd jobs and trying to make a go of it, Frank got a job as a millwright in Ocean Falls. It was in Ocean Falls that they started their family with first son Richard (Ocean) born in 1954 and second son Michael (Mike) born in 1955. It was also in Ocean Falls that they met and befriended many of the people who would become lifelong friends. Frank enjoyed Ocean Falls for the hunting, fishing and the close and supportive community that existed there.
In 1962, Frank transferred to Elk Falls mill in Campbell River. Frank loved Campbell River and referred to it as God’s Country. Soon after arriving, they purchased a house with two acres at Shelter Point. Over the next few years, Frank built a new house where the family resided and where the boys grew to adulthood.
Frank retired in 1986 and in the late 1980s, they moved to a house on Twillingate Rd. In the early 1990s, they moved to Willow Point Villas. Silvana passed away in September 2000. Shortly after that, Frank made a solo trip to Hong Kong and Australia to visit relatives. He subsequently made another trip to the Philippines.
In the last decade of his life, Frank was fortunate to meet Marie Mychan who became his loving friend. They had a wonderful relationship and did many fun things together. Indeed, Marie was welcomed into the family by all.
In the last years of his life, Frank was fortunate to be a regular attendee of the Campbell River Adult Daycare Society. The family would wholeheartedly like to thank the women there who enriched his life in a warm and supportive way; as well, the family's gratitude goes out to the home support workers who came into Frank's home to help him manage an independent lifestyle as long as was possible. They were notable for their gentle, compassionate care.
Frank will be missed.
A memorial for Frank will be held at Sutton’s Campbell River Funeral Home on August 25, 2014 at 1pm. Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccallbros.com.