John STREIFEL

STREIFEL _ John passed away on September 3, 2004 at Mount St. Joseph Hospital in Vancouver, BC, where he received devoted care from nurses and staff since being admitted on August 28, 2004. Family and friends lovingly surrounded John during the last days of his life. Born on October 15, 1909, in Holdfast, Saskatchewan, John was one of twelve children. He moved to Vancouver, BC during the depression years and in 1936, married his first wife Elsie. They had three children and soon settled into a home that John built at 44th and St. George. John had a strong work ethic and for many years, he held several jobs simultaneously. John and Elsie raised their three children to adulthood before Elsie passed away in 1966. John remarried; Marian predeceased him in 1983. Later, John shared his life with his special friend Judy; they spent many years together, until Judy succumbed to illness and eventually died in 2001. John was well travelled and he loved to dance; he was highly active until he had a stroke in 1998. With regret, John moved from his house on 44th Avenue and shortly thereafter, he was welcomed at Brock Fahrni Pavilion. Brock Fahrni became John's home; he made many friends there and he especially liked to keep everybody on their toes. Of the changes in his life, he seemed to miss driving his car the most. John kept busy and reluctantly took up painting at the ArtWorks Room; it did not take long before painting became his passion. If the art room was open, John could be found there; his masterpieces covered the walls of his room and can be found adorning the walls of his children and grandchildren's homes. When John wasn't painting, he could be counted on to read the daily paper, participate at bingo games and start a protest if he felt one was needed to improve or resolve issues that riled him. With a keen mind and a strong heart, John was a man of substance. He never gave up on living and until his passing, John was determined to walk again. Close to his ninety-fifth birthday, John's life was full and well lived. He set a wonderful example during his longevity. His family is comforted by the thought that he is now somewhere, where he is happily walking, dancing and driving again. John, also known as pop, grandpa, great-grandpa, brother, uncle and friend was loved dearly and will be deeply missed by family, friends and those who knew him. John is survived by his three children, daughter Marlene, son Gordon (Valerie) and son Donald (Donna); seven grandchildren, Karen (Harry), Brian (Shelagh), Darren (Tracy), Sandra (Guy), Craig (Sandi), Darcy and Jeffrey (Kim) and eleven great-grandchildren, Erica, Alexandra, Daniel, Cameron, Danielle, Trevor, Nicholas, Luke, Matthew, Joshua and Alicen. He is also survived by three brothers, August, Thomas and Phillip, as well as by many more relatives and friends. John was who he was; he was the man, and he did good here...Funeral service will take place at 1 P.M. on Saturday, September 11th at First Memorial Funeral Chapel, 602 Kingsway, Vancouver. Viewing from 12:00 P.M. to 1:00 P.M. Donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada will be appreciated. The family would like to say a special thanks to John's caregivers and friends at Brock Fahrni and to the Acute Care staff at Mount St. Joseph Hospital. First Memorial 604-876-5585.