October 13, 1928 - April 6, 2022
It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Lewis George Yurik of Langley, B.C. on April 6th at the age of 93 years.
He will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 69 years, Ida; children: Norman, Evelyn, Ryan, Yvonne (Rick); grandchildren: Brendan, Brady, Lauren, Michelle, Nicole (Carson), Nick (Amanda), Rylee (Brandon), Ciara, Devin, Alicia; great grandchildren: Cy, Jack; sister: Mary.
Lewis was preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Sophie, and his brother, John.
Lewis was born in the mining town of Sandon in B.C. He lived there for 3 years and then moved to the family farm in Langley, B.C. for 10 years. There he attended West Langley Elementary from grades 1 to 7, and after that, they moved back to Nakusp where he finished high school.
At the age of 17 Lewis was apprenticing in Vancouver and building boats made from wood. He was part of the construction crew that built Bentall 1 and 2 towers in Vancouver.
For 17 years he worked in Steveston as a deckhand on a Pilot boat that guided the big ships in, and for several years he was working at that same job with his son, Norman. After retirement, Lewis and Ida hit the road with their truck and fifth wheel and had lots of traveling adventures including Palm Springs, Reno, Vegas, across Canada, Alaska.
To understand a man's character and heart, you have to share some stories.
Times were tough when Lewis lived on that 20 + acre farm in the outskirts of a very small, quiet town, Langley. His dad was working in Nakusp and his mom and siblings were on the farm alone trying to make ends meet. They had cows, pigs, chickens, a work horse named Pete, and Prince, who was their loyal dog.
His mom grew and managed a substantial garden with a variety of vegetables to keep food on the table, plus extra to spare. She often fed the homeless people who got off the train in Port Kells, and in exchange, they would sharpen her knives.
There was no fear of the homeless people, and though their family didn't have much, if someone came to their door, and was hungry or needed food, they were always invited in, fed, or given food.
Their family was raised with generosity in their hearts. Lewis himself worked hard on the farm by collecting bark from the Cascara tree and made 6 to 8 cents a pound. (In his young mind, he believed HE was the real breadwinner in the family!)
When the sap was running he would climb the tree, cut the bark off, put it into a sack, and peddle his bike home. Sometimes he would take a big risk and sneak into other people's property and steal the bark off their trees! I am sure God forgave him for that! At home, he would cut the bark into strips and put it on the roof of the house to dry, then crush it in a sack in preparation to sell. He was quite the entrepreneur!
With all that hard work, cleaning up was a must, and baths were a Saturday night ritual on the farm. It started, in order, from oldest to youngest, and was often accompanied by the music of The Rhythm Pals, from New Westminster, on the Marconi Radio.
At a very tender age, Lewis knew what needed to be done to put food on the table and help support his family, and through his entire life he unfailingly followed through on his commitment to do so. A story was told about how his older sister, Mary, wanted to buy a pair of shoes for $2.50 so he lent her the money and then lovingly teased her for years to come. Fifty years later she paid him back with a book about Sandon, the town he was born in. Now that demonstrated his true patience!
Lewis was an honest, kind, man with a big heart. His strength of character shone brightly to those who knew him. He played a wicked game of crib, and just a week before he parted from this world he was still beating his sons, daughters and grand kids!
We also can't forget to mention his loyal dog, Danny, who fiercely loved him like no other.
We are truly broken hearted to lose such a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather but our memories keep him alive and loved and LOVE is eternal!
The family is holding a private Celebration of Life gathering on Father's Day to honour this remarkable man who was loved by so many.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hendersonslangleyfunerals.com for the Yurik family.
Henderson’s Fraser Valley Funeral Home