suddenly on Wednesday May 8th at
Chilliwack General Hospital at the age
of 54. He was born November 3rd, 1958
to Jacob and Hilda Spenst in Chilliwack.
Rod is survived by his loving wife of 35
years Alicia Spenst, his mother Hilda
Spenst, his children: Andrea and Bob,
Lisa and Tina, Daniel and Candase. He is
also survived by his 7 grandchildren Danina, Chance, Silas, Jadeyn,
Xander, Kayleen and Allison. He is survived by his only sister Pat
(Rudy) Loewen and nephews Matthew (Thereasa) Loewen and
Andrew Loewen who he was very close with. He is also survived
by brothers and sister-in-laws: Bill (Yvette) Hawryluk, Gean (Roger)
Reihl, Carl (Carol) Hawryluk, Dina (Bill) Turlock, Andy (Joan) Hawryluk,
Gloria Hawryluk, Rick (Thea) Hawryluk and numerous nieces and
nephews. He was predeceased by his father Jacob Spenst and
his grandson Theodore Spenst. A Celebration of Life will be held
Wednsday May 15th at 2:00 at Eden Mennonite Church followed by
a tea where all are welcome to share stories.
Rod already knew the career path he was destined for, carpentry,
by the age of 18. The pride he took in his work was apparent to all
and his reputation exceeded him. He shared his knowledge with
family members he brought to the sites, apprenticed many and
worked with his daughter Lisa for 10 years. He rode motorcycles,
cooked exotic meals, was an avid reader, enjoyed coffee nights with
buddies and travelled but nothing brought him more joy than his
family. He married his high school sweetheart and the love of his
life in 1978 and they welcomed two daughters and a son. These
children brought spouses and many friends that Rod embraced as
his own. In 2001, Rod officially added “Papa” to his resume, and the
job rapidly became busier over the years. Rarely did a weekend go
by without grandchildren filling his house with laughter and vying
for the best spot on his knee.
We know that God has a plan for us and Rod was called home
earlier than we expected.
Pages and pages could be written about Rod without doing him
justice. He was a private man with many layers. He will be loved and
deeply missed by many.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation and
Children’s Hospital in Rod’s name would be greatly appreciateD.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18