Dad was predeceased by his parents, Marthin and Magna Stangeland, his sister Solveig, his brother Bjarne, his son-in-law Jim Bowden and the love of his life, his beloved wife of 53 years & our dear mother & grandmother, Hjordis S Stangeland.
He is survived by his 2 daughters, Magna Stangeland & Gerd Kabakian (Harout.) He also leaves behind to mourn, his 6 grandchildren;
Kevin Olsen (Selina),Jeff Olsen (Shalene),Kirsten Morrison (Rick),Rick Stangeland, Candace McRae (Andy) & Tony Stangeland (Jessica)
Dad was thrilled to become a great grandfather 6 times over and also welcomed 3 step great grandchildren. Dad was a devoted and loving grandfather in every way. He has the undying love & gratitude of them all.
Dad was born in Sandnes, Norway on May 26, 1926. He grew up in an orphanage after both his parents died during his early childhood. Around the age of 18, he drove truck for a living and joined the Norwegian Army, serving on Peace Keeping/War Clean up missions in Germany, and England. He met his wife Hjordis at a local dance & they fell in love and were married March 8th, 1947. Magna their first daughter was born in December of that year while Dad was away in the army, & Hjordis named her after Dad’s mother. Gerd came along in January 1952.
In 1956, citing the lack of job opportunities in Norway then, Mom & Dad decided to move their young family to Canada for a new start. With a 5yr plan to return to Norway if things didn’t work out, it was that final year that made all the difference. Dad got hired at Canadian Aeronautics Engineering Company where he quickly became a pro in the foundry, pouring steaming hot liquid metal into molds free hand. He was with CAE for 32 years, & during that time Dads work contributed to the Canada Space Arm which made us all very proud. Dad tried to train 3 other men at the time of his retirement but no one could fill his shoes. After turning down the offers to stay, Dad retired with a great company send-off & the admiration & gratitude of his bosses. The foundry dept closed shortly after his retirement.
Dad found quite quickly that he could not sit home. He began to work part time at the Langley Zellers, as a handyman, fixing bikes and shelves and doing odd jobs. He made many friends and loved being useful again. He later transferred to the Maple Ridge Zellers.
While Dad was a loyal and hard working employee, he himself would tell you his greatest joy was his family; his girls and grandkids. He was a devoted, loving, kind, fun and dependable grandfather. His fondest memories were of the Camping/fishing trips to Kentucky Lake with the grandkids. Christmas Eve celebrations with everyone there, birthdays and barbecues, playing crib, Flea Market shopping...
Dad was so grateful for his family & the life he built with Mom here in Canada.
In 2000 when our beloved Mother passed away, Dad had a very difficult time, but eventually decided to move to Maple Ridge, & try for a new start. He joined the Royal Canadian Legion and soon made many new friends, which gave him a great lift. He had many great years, 18 to be exact, at the Legion, dancing, playing crib and being a friend to all. He traveled back to Norway many times to see his family, he took trips to New York and Hawaii and even a cruise to Alaska. Dad made the most of those 18 years after Mom, & we loved him every minute. We are grateful to Robbie and especially Sherine, who were wonderful caring companions to him in his later years.
Dad’s passing will forever leave a hole in our hearts that can never be filled. He will be loved and missed forever. We could have loved him longer, but we couldn’t have loved him more.
---Til we meet again Far, we’ll be loving you and Mor---
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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