Katharina Berker

Katharina Berker (Kay) passed away at Gemstone Care Center in Kamloops B.C. on May 13, 2023, at the age of 99. She was born in Yugoslavia on February 22, 1924, to parents Elizabeth and Martin Popp. Kay is predeceased by her first husband Frank Glassen, and her second husband, Helmut; her sister, Eva; and her three brothers William, Martin and Matt. She is survived by her four children; Frank Glassen, Rose Connor, Ursula Kerr (Cam), and Manfred Berker (Bonnie), as well as six grandchildren; Frank Glassen, Terri and Tasha Schollen, C.J. and Brad Kerr, Rachel McLean, and ten great-grandchildren.

Kay immigrated to Kamloops from Schaulksmühle, Germany with Helmut in 1953, settling in Brocklehurst with their young family. Kay spent many years working at the Park Avenue Bakery and the Leland Hotel. She finished a more than 20-year career at Royal Inland Hospital in Central Supply, where she enjoyed working with numerous colleagues who became her friends.

Kay enjoyed travelling to far off lands with friends, and she collected teaspoons from all over the world. She was also known to enjoy taking “mystery tours” throughout the United States and Canada. Kay loved cooking for her family and often served traditional German dishes with ingredients from her garden. She was beloved for the various goodies she baked, whether it was her apricot jam, pies, plum or lemon poppy seed cake, chocolate chip, oatmeal or German spritz cookies, and family and friends were often sent home with a tin of them to enjoy.

Kay loved preparing roast beef dinners with family gathered together around her dining room table, and serving up her home-baked pies with love for her kids and many grandchildren. She made delicious braised cabbage and homemade noodles, bean soup, dumplings, cabbage rolls, and delectable sugar donuts that never lasted long once family and friends got their hands on them. Kay loved plants and flowers and her yard was always filled with roses and other cheery blooms throughout the spring and summer seasons.

She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

The family would like to extend a heartfelt thanks to the staff at Gemstone Care Centre for taking such good care of Kay over the past six years.