Ernest Gaksch
December 23, 1936 – January 30, 2014
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved Ernie. After a lengthy battle of health issues he passed away peacefully, on January 30th, in the arms of his loving wife of 47 years, Gail.
In 1953, at age 17, Ernie and his family moved from Germany to Dawson Creek, BC. While training for the manager position at the Co-op, he had an accident which caused the loss of his right arm. Ernie was a very strong individual and never let that detour him. It sent him onto the next chapter of his life, which led him to Nanaimo in 1965. It is there where he met Gail. They were married five months later and enjoyed the storybook romance we all hope for. After retirement Ernie and his wife Gail decided to put their endeavors into helping others and did so through Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10.
Ernie's main interest in life was his family, who he loved very much. He enjoyed many activities throughout his life including skiing, soccer, chess, badminton, pool, darts, model trains and woodworking.
Ernie will be greatly missed by his daughter, Melissa (Garry); step-daughter, Peggy MacPhail (Bob); sister-in-law, Jane Anderson (Joe); sisters: Annelli (Gary), Margot, Sonja (Wayne); brothers, Waldi (Lois) and Robert (Jenny) Heckel; granddaughters: Trish Kuziek, Siobhan and Caitlin MacPhail; grandsons, Brady MacPhail and Tanner Phillips; great-granddaughter, Payton MacPhail; great-grandsons, Jordan Kuziek and Soren Korhonen; as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
Thank you to the many family members and friends for showing their love and support through this difficult time.
A Celebration of Life will be held at the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 10 (Harewood) on February 26th, 2014 at 1pm. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Kidney Foundation Of Canada.