Henry Adrian
21 February, 1925 - 3, May 2022
Henry passed peacefully into the arms of his Lord on May 3, 2022 with family at his side.
He had recently recovered from a deep chest cold, but it had greatly weakened him and we
soon were told we had only 24 hours to say our good-byes. Our family is deeply saddened by
the loss of this strong, compassionate, loving, fun and greatly admired head of our family..
Henry leaves to mourn 6 children and their spouses: (Verna, Heather, Eleanor, Ron, Jim, Rick),
18 Grandchildren, 15 Great Grandchildren, 2 Great-Great Grandchildren, 2 Brothers: John
Adrian and George Adrian (Florence), 1 Sister-In-Law: Evelyn Adrian (Sam Adrian 1994) as well
as many nieces and nephews. Henry is predeceased by his loving wife of 61 years: Ann Adrian
(2014) and Grandson Levi Adrian (2013)
Henry was born to Emilie and Heinrich Adrian in the Village of Gnadenthal, Plum Coulee,
Manitoba. He was the 4th child and eldest son in a family of 10 children. His parents later
moved to Elm Creek, MB where they farmed. In 1943, Henry was inducted into the army to
serve in World War 2. He completed the basic military training, then decided to get advanced
training in “Infantry and Front-line 1st Aid” in London, Ontario in order to serve overseas. He
served as a head of a Medical Inspection Room in the RCAMC. (Royal Canadian Army Medical
Corps). He said he loved the work immensely.
Upon Henry’s return from the war, he moved to BC, and began his career as a building
contractor in Chilliwack and Hope, BC. While in Chilliwack, he met a very talented, attractive,
industrious, fun-loving young woman named Ann who was an LPN. In 1952, Henry and Ann
were married and began their long and loving journey together. They first lived in Hope where
they welcomed 3 daughters, then later moved to Steveston where they welcomed 3 sons. The
family later moved to Pt. Coquitlam. All the while, Henry was building…homes, churches,
commercial spaces and more. All the family pitched in; helping to nail floors, roofs, paint and
clean plus much more as needed. In 1969, the family moved to the farm in Mission. Once again,
Henry and Ann were back to their roots enjoying farm life, with Henry continuing work as a
building contractor, his 3 sons working at his side. It was a happy time.
All through their marriage, Henry and Ann enjoyed being members of the Baptist Church in their
local community. They would teach Sunday school, sing in the choir, lead youth groups and
more. Henry was a member of the North Valley Baptist Church in Mission. When it was being
built in 1992, his son, Ron, was hired by the church committee to manage and site-supervise
the building. Henry played a significant role in the framing and finishing of the church. He also
worked alongside and organized many volunteers. Little did he know at the time that this is
where his funeral service would eventually be held. After the passing of his wife, Ann, Henry
stayed for a short time in Mission. He later moved to Westminster House in S. Surrey to be
closer to his daughter’s family. All the family greatly appreciates the good care and kindness he
received during his nearly 6 years there.
Henry was a clever, talented and generous man…always true to his word. He dearly loved all
his family and wanted to see them do well. He was always ready to help change a tire or offer
his hand in building something or jump in to help with whatever was needed. He was a man
who loved animals and admired nature and its creator. He loved the home-coming visits of his
children and their families at the farm, and the visits of relatives and friends alike. He loved
sharing family history, quoting poetry, singing favourite songs, telling stories and would always
end stories by saying…”just a story, but true”.
Henry will be deeply missed and dearly remembered until we see him again.
A Funeral Service to celebrate the life of Henry will be held:
Saturday, May 14th, 2022 at 2:00pm
North Valley Baptist Church, 32715 Cherry Ave., Mission, BC V2V 2T8
The interment will be prior to the service, and attended by immediate family only.
The funeral will be live streamed from the North Valley Baptist Church.
https://funeraweb.tv/diffusions/53356
If desired, donations may be made in memory of Henry Adrian to:
Gleaners, www.fvgleaners.org
or
A local food bank of your choice
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