Ronald Howard Powell, born in Princeton, B.C. on January 4, 1932, passed away peacefully at the Oliver Hospital, November 20, 2005 after a brief illness at the age of 73.
Ron was a remarkable man who lived a full and varied life. He was an active businessman throughout his lifetime beginning as the youngest newspaper editor in Canada at the age of 19, when he became editor of the Kamloops Sentinel. He continued in the newspaper business with the Sun/Province New Service, Prince George Citizen, Quesnel Observer, culminating as shareholder and publisher/editor of the Cranbrook Courier. One of Ron’s many accomplishments as a newspaperman was turning weekly newspapers into dailies. In 1975 he published a book on the world champion Penticton Vees hockey team. 1975 also saw a change of direction for Ron as he and his brother-in-law Abe Schapansky purchased Oliver Nurseries (1975) Ltd., a fruit and ornamental tree nursery. The nursery business eventually evolved into a Forest Seedling Nursery with Ron playing a significant role in the development of provincial forest nursery infrastructure. As founder and co-owner of K & C Silviculture, Ron led K & C to become one of the largest and leading container tree seedling companies in Western North America.
Ron was active in the communities in which he lived, serving as Alderman on Cranbrook City Council and participating in Chambers of Commerce, Rotary Clubs and various committees, and on a more personal level, helping raise foster children his home.
We remember Ron as:
A husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend, partner, employer, colleague and customer.
As soft hearted, compassionate, caring and considerate.
As cheerful, always with a ready laugh. He made people feel good and appreciated.
As a gentlemen, who died as he lived, with a courage and dignity.
As giving of himself, his time, talents and resources to help other - his family, children, foster children, employees and their families, business colleagues, people needing a listening ear, advice, a job or an advocate. As busy as he always was, he could always take time for others.
As having the ability to talk intelligently to anyone about almost anything.
As having an amazing capacity for work.
As one who packed a lot into his 73 years.
As passionate, determined, persistant and sometimes stubborn, doing everything with gusto and energy, and with an unfailing optimism.
He will be sadly missed by his wife of 44 years, Betty Powell, his 3 children, Liane, Brad and Shelley, his daughter-in-law Carrie, his 8 grandchildren, Christopher, Keyton, Eriel, Amanda, Branden, Sara, Paul and Nancy, his first great grandchild, Mercedes (daughter of Tyler and Sara Groat), his cousin, Val Aitken and her husband George, his cousins and his brother-in-law Abe Schapansky and family.