Born: November 4th,
1928, Brilliant, BC
Passed: September 27th, 2013, Trail, BC
Mike grew up in Ootischenia. He built & opened the Cay Creek Store which he ran from 1947-1959. His family then moved to Kinnaird and he, with partner Pete Gorkoff, started P&G Construction which had a hand in building many buildings in Castlegar still standing today. In 1963 they opened P&G Building Supplies and ran it until 1971. Mike then did freelance construction until his retirement.
Mike was a devoted member of the Union of Spirtual Communities of Christ as a secretary of the Union of Youth when he was young and as a secretary of the Men’s Group after retirement. Mike helped build the wood shop at the Brilliant Cultural Centre and volunteered his time every week building pine coffins and other wood products. He was the longest service member of the Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia helping to make commercial buildings & parking lots wheel-chair accessible. Mike was also a member of Alcoholics Anonymous for 38 years.
Mike enjoyed watching softball, baseball & hockey. He also loved the great outdoors where he would enjoy picking huckleberries, suziki, mushrooms and getting firewood.
He is survived by wife Patsy, brother Harry, sister Martha, son Walter, daughters Linda & Sherri and grandsons Eric & Steven. He was predeceased by father William, mother Mary and brother William.
A service was held on October 3rd at the Ootischenia Hall and Mike was laid to rest at the Brilliant Cemetary.
The family would like to thank the staff at the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital, The Castlegar Funeral Home, the Brilliant Cultural Centre and the Ootischenia Hall, Leonard Voykin for conducting the service, the psalmists, cooks, gravediggers, out of town guests, neighbours and everyone who stopped by the house, called or sent their kind words.