Joe was a New Years baby born January 1, 1935. After a short battle with cancer, Joseph E. Kopec (Joe) passed away peacefully June 3, 2011 at Royal Inland Hospital.
Joe was predeceased by his parents Walter and Leona. He also grieved the loss of his sister Mary and brother in-law Frank Fodor.
Joe will be lovingly remembered by his wife of 49 wonderful years, Fran, daughters Elizabeth/Pat, Jeannie, Susan and Cathy along with grandchildren Jessica, Joseph and Abbygale all of Kamloops. Joe was a kind, loving and generous person to all, and all who knew him loved him.
Joe is also survived by his brothers Norm/Diana, Ralph/Pat, along with many nieces and nephews. Also by his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law John and Nancy Lukaz, and family of Victoria, BC, and Stanley and Jean Tash and family of Kamloops.
Joe started B and K Contractors Ltd. in 1967. B and K Contractors did many projects in the Kamloops and surrounding area. Joe loved his work and was a very dedicated businessman.
Joe along with his golfing buddies, would enjoy a winter golfing getaway down south, his most recent one was in Augusta, Georgia, where he enjoyed watching Tiger Woods.
He found the time to enjoy traveling, skiing, snowmobiling, and his pride and joy GOLF, and a fine card game of Bridge or Meldemen. Travel took Joe & Fran to Mexico, Cuba, New York and many trips to Hawaii especially Molokai. They also took the family to Disneyland and Disneyworld, Mexico and Hawaii.
Joe was a charter member of the Kamloops Brock Central Lions Club. A number of years ago Joe was awarded the prestigious Melvin Jones award in Lionism.
Joe's retirement gave him the time to enjoy all the above with his family and friends. The cottage at Blind Bay provided the family many occasions for family gatherings, boating and the opportunity to grow and bond with the grandchildren.
Mary Kuromi
Mary Miyahara
Mary was born in Vancouver, B.C. on February 8, 1935 and left us at age 88 in Kamloops on October 3, 2023.
She is survived by her sister Aiko (Brian) Johnson and brothers David and Tom (Elzbieta) Kuromi. She is also remembered by her "grandkids" Kai, Taiga, Hana (Kimiye Johnson) and Savannah, Jade, River (Mike Kuromi), Erika (Shelley Kuromi), Madison, Brandon (Tracey Miyahara), Jaryn, Justin (Trevor Miyahara), Sophie, Charlotte (Megan Savitskoff), Kaitlyn, Coen (Cassandra Butler). Mary was predeceased by her loving husband Tom, her mother Etsuko, father Ryuji and sister Kimiye.
Mary led a life of resilience, service and elegance. As a young child in 1942, at the start of World War II, her family was interned at Tashme (Sunshine Valley) where she survived her newborn sister, Kimiye. Following the war, her family moved to Slocan, where her youngest sibling Tom was born. After a brief stint in Vernon, the family settled in Kamloops where Mary resumed schooling and joined the family in picking hops and strawberries.
After graduating from Kamloops Senior Secondary School in 1953, Mary worked at Dearborn Ford and Wilson Motors before starting a 37 year career with the Ministry of Forests in 1957. Mary met the love of her life, Tom Miyahara, through her brother Dave as they both played with the Hall of Fame Kamloops Mohawks baseball team. Mary and Tom wed in 1964 and were inseparable during their 51 years together.
Mary's greatest passions were sports, community, travel and family. Through the years, Mary enjoyed curling, golfing, singing and bowling. Her most notable sporting accomplishment was representing BC in the Western Canada Five-Pin Championships in Calgary in 1960. The league mentioned, "her best bowling is done under pressure", a testament of her resilience.
Mary was an active member of the Kamloops Japanese Cultural Center and the Buddhist Church. She was a long-term volunteer and became famous for her sushi making and contributions to the chow mein fundraisers. She also loved doing Japanese crafts, especially creating dolls with handmade kimonos.
