Bob and Madelene Parkin

PARKIN - Robert Arthur (Bob) passed away August 5,1990 in North Vancouver. aged 87 years. He is survived by his wife Madelene. sisters Leona Mckenzie and Dorthea Gem of Vest Vancouver and sister and brother-in-law Gertrude and Ronald Smith of Bellvue. Washington; nieces and nephews and many loving friends. A memorial service was held in Best Vancouver on August 10, 1990. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Diabetes Association. 1891 West 8th. Vancouver BC. V6H 2V3.

LONG TIME CARIBOO RESIDENT PASSES

Bob Parkin. a former resident of the 108 Mile House area for many years. passed away on Sunday.5 August 1990 in North Vancouver. Bob and his wife Madelene came to the Cariboo from Nest Vancouver in 1945 when they purchased. in partnership with Archer and Priscilla White. what was then known as Forest Grove Lodge and Trading Post. He was involved with this business and a variety of related activites in the Forest Grove community until the sale of the property in 1956.

Bob will be best remembered during these years for his first aid work. The nearest doctor at that time. was in Ashcroft with the result that immediate medical attention for a variety of serious injuries and illnesses often fell to lob's very capable hands. Bob pulled teeth. stitched wounds and administered medications left in his hands by the visiting doctor. These services were provided for man and beast alike. Dr. Mills and his predecessor Dr. Tyreman supported Bob and visited the community on regular basis from Ashcroft.

Many residents of the community will also recall the Friday night movie in the old Forest Grove Hall. Bob assisted the Sandbacks in establishing these proceedings and often served as projectionist usher and bouncer. These film showings were very popular in the community in spite of the lack of amenities in the old hall. Patrons sat on benches and were frequently subjected to long waits while repairs to both film and electrical system were undertaken. A considerable amount of audience participation was also not unusual hence the occasional requirement for a bouncer.

Bob Parkin and Archer White built one of the first summer cottages in 1949 at the now popular resort area of Ruth Lake.This cabin was constructed of lumber which was rafted down the lake and is still in use. Another cabin built on the same property later became Bob and Madelene Parkin's first retirement home. Their last home in the Forest Grove area was located on Oie Lake not far from Murphy Lake.

After the sale of the Forest Grove property in 1956 Bob devoted the remainder of his working life to the forest industry. In particular, he worked many years cruising timber and managing the woods operations for the Minato Lumber Company. During this period he and Madelene lived in 188 Mile House and briefly in Seton Portage.

Bob and Madelene retired in 1969 and lived for several years at Oie Lake, before returning in 1981 to West Vancouver

Eulogy for Bob Parkin

10 August 1990

It is a great privilege for me to have the opportunity to say a few words about the Bob Parkin I knew and loved so well. This will not be a history of Bob's life but some reflections on the man we all knew for so many years. My memories of Bob extend from my earliest childhood to three weeks ago when I last spoke with him in Lions Gate Hospital. There are many aspects of his personality that stand out sharply in my mind but probably the most dominant was his unfailing consistency. Bob was always the same; cheerful and optimistic.

Bob was a multi-talented man. He could turn his hand to most practical skills with considerable ease. His knowledge of the host of problems, small and large, which beset any would be handyman made him a font of helpful advice and always a willing helper. There is in my house considerable evidence of Bob's advice and handiwork. His early training in electrical work, in particular, became a lifelong skill. At the other end of the spectrum, his knowledge and skill, in first aid will long be remembered by many who received treatment for injuries and illnesses during his early years in the Cariboo. I have a vivid recollection of Bob having to turn that medical knowledge to his own injuries when he was severely burned in an explosion and subsequent fire. I also a recall a certain dog which had encountered a boat propeller; his tail was replaced but not the same way up.

Bob was perhaps most proud of his "blasting ticket". He liked nothing better than to spend a morning blowing up stumps and trees. I can well recall my delight as a child when I was given the opportunity to join him on these outings. In later life Bob became an accomplished potter and produced many beautiful pieces depicting the wildlife of the Cariboo.

My fondest memories of Bob are from my childhood. He had that unique ability to stimulate interest and fascination in the ordinary things of his world. A ride with Bob to a saw mill to pick up a load of wood always became an adventure. The creeks and lakes which Bob fished were always stocked with the biggest fish and located in the most mysterious places. There was also never any doubt about the tracks of Santa's sleigh on the roof at Christmas time. Many of us will never forget Bob's gentle teasing at the dinner table as he scooped up the last bites of cake or ice cream from our plates while diverting our attention elsewhere. As the children in Bob's life became adults he never tired of telling and re-telling his version of the stories of our childhood.

Bob was not a man given to outbursts of emotion. He approached life calmly and seldom gave way to anger or frustration. I once asked him if he ever got angry. He replied that he did but only inside and then not for long. No stranger to illness and physical adversity he reacted just as calmly to these disruptions to his life. A list of the injuries and long spells of recuperation in Bob's life would suggest a degree of fortitude and patience which would have done no small credit to a saint.

The out of doors and all those things related to the natural environment were the great love of Bob's life. He lived for the opportunity to hunt and fish, probably taking as much pleasure from the process as from the success of his efforts. Who else but Bob would have sent a young honeymoon couple off to Misery Lake in the pouring rain to catch fish? His annual fishing trips with close friends even in the last years of his life were the substance of his thoughts and conversation.

Bob was also very attached to his dogs and often talked about them long after they had gone. I believe that it was Barbara who mentioned to me that Bob had expressed concern recently about who was feeding Timmy while he was in hospital. Timmy, of course, had not been with us for many years. Bob loved his retirement home on Oie Lake and it was never far from his mind even long after he had lost the physical ability to return there on a regular basis.

Bob's final years of retirement were marred by the tragic illness of Madelene, his wife. Their ability to travel and to enjoy together the life they had established in the Cariboo was cut short. Many lesser mortals would have reacted with anger and frustration at life's injustice. Bob did not. He carried on as best he could with unfailing optimism. He was always certain that each day Madelene was just a little better, and this, long after she had lost the ability to walk or speak. During his final weeks in Inglewood Lodge Bob often asked me to wheel him from his room to the hospital section so we could visit Madelene. He would always assure me that in spite of appearances that Madelene definitely looking better.

Bob seemed resigned to the obvious signs of his failing health. In spite of repeated small strokes and the increasing inability to walk or even to feed himself he remained a man of quiet patience and great fortitude. His nurses in the hospital all remarked on his friendly and cooperative personality. For those of us who visited him he did his best to remain alert and optimistic and unfailingly thanked the visitor for taking the time to come to see him.

We shall all miss Bob but we are left with so many positive and wonderful memories that he will live on in our hearts and minds for the rest of our lives.

Robert W. White

10 August 1990