May 11, 1928 - November 25, 2019
We are sad to announce the passing of this wonderful couple.
Esko, the High Liner captain of the salmon troller "Courageous" out of Kyuquot, BC. slipped quietly over the horizon to join his wife of 69 years who preceded him on this voyage by just 6 short months.
Born just a few miles of one another in the Fraser Valley, but not meeting until Lucy was working as a nurse in Zeballos and Esko was salmon fishing the west coast...they married within the year and moved into a small cabin on the beach in Kyuquot.
With the access being only by sea or air everything revolved around the weather, Lucy often said that the storms were what kept them together for the first few years because by the time the weather broke and the planes were flying, they had kissed and made up. Kyuquot was their home base for the next 4 decades...raising three daughters, Sherry, Susan and Sandra. Some years were split between Kyuquot and Sidney, where their daughters went to high school, then Kyuquot and Courtenay - where they eventually retired and enjoyed puttering around on the privacy of their small acreage.
Their lives were full of adventures and accomplishments that were a big part of this tiny, remote, fishing village.
Esko was instrumental in the construction of both of his wooden salmon trollers; a modern, two story, three bedroom home for his family; a house for his mother; a sawmill; a boat ways; a community general store and numerous other projects. His basement was known as the place to go if one needed parts to get up and running after a breakdown of any sort...it saved many a fisherman untold days of waiting to have parts flown in from 'who knows where' and 'weather permitting'.
Lucy's medical training developed into being the recipient of many a sick or wounded wild critter over the years. This led to the raising of a harbour seal - Charlie - that was a part of the family and the village mascot for over 40 years.
Her dedication to her husband and family was evident when, after finally retiring in Courtenay, she admitted that she never really liked the ocean and never learned to drive a boat! Not even a rowboat! Who knew?
Well known and highly respected on the west coast of Vancouver Island, both were dearly loved and will be missed by all who knew them - most of all by their three daughters, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
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