Allan Isaac

Allan Isaac, Dad, Grandfather, Brother and friend to all who knew him, was born August 13, 1944 in the log cabin on the family farm in Crooked Creek, Alberta, to parents Philip and Alda Isaac. He passed away April 14, 2021, in Chilliwack, BC, reaching the age of 76 years. His childhood home was two miles from Ridgevalley School, where he received all of his formal education, walking uphill both ways! As the second child he learned to work hard on the family farm at a young age.

At age 16 he went to work to help support his family, starting at Isaac and Esau sawmill. His next jobs took him all over BC, Alberta and Saskatchewan, operating heavy equipment, which included buggies, cats, graders, and basically any machine. He became quite a sought after operator, with finish grading being his claim to fame. He always favored working in BC with its rock, mountains and milder climate. Projects included the Bennett dam, Mica dam, pads for power transmission lines, various highways including the Coquihalla, pipelines, railway repairs, climbing cranes and more. His employers included Dawson, Kiewit, North American, Somerville, and more. He belonged to the International Union of Operating Engineers for most of his life. He gladly trained other workers, even surveyors and engineers.

Allan was a social man and made friends everywhere he went. He was kind to all who crossed paths with him. He was patient, hard working, had a great sense of humor, and always had interesting stories to tell about work, travelling, geography and world events. He loved to travel and was able to do quite a bit of it later in life. He greatly enjoyed helping out many people along the way.

Allan loved family, and he always carried a deep love for Latino people and Spanish culture. In January of 1970, he married Sofia Reyes Trolle in Mexico. They have three sons, Philip Richard, Jesse Eben, and Axel. He loved his 5 grandchildren deeply and greatly enjoyed spending time with them. The majority of his life he lived and worked in Kamloops, but also in Edmonton, Crooked Creek, and work camps. It was in Nicaragua that he met and married Elizabeth Castillo Garcia in March of 2010. Approximately 4 years ago he developed heart problems. He then went to live in Ridgevalley Home in Crooked Creek, AB to be near his siblings, but ended up returning to his family in BC.

Allan’s faith was very important to him. He worshipped in various churches, and claimed forgiveness for his sins through Jesus Christ. His parents, one brother and one sister, and various in-laws preceded him in death. He will be fondly remembered by all who knew him. A memorial service for Allan will be announced at a later date.