Patricia Josephine KROFTA

Born in November of 1920, Pat’s first 12 years were spent on Galiano Island making a homestead and creating a visitor lodge with cabins They sold the homestead in 1932 and headed to England where her mother had been born.    They opened a tea house in rural Leeds and Pat attended secondary high school while there.

After the war, they returned to Canada and settled in Parksville homesteading on Smithers Road.  This is when Pat met Charlie and they where married in 1952.  Charlie was hand digging wells and then started shipping fence posts by rail to Alberta.  Pat and Charlie purchased an acre with a small house on Molliet St where their daughter, Linda was born in 1958.  Their family increased by one when they adopted Mike in 1963.  Mike stayed with the family until 1971, choosing to return to his paternal father following a life of family run business. 

In the 1960s, Pat and Charlie began Krofta’s Moving and Storage eventually accumulating a fleet of 5 trucks from 1/2 tonne - 3 tonne.  They sold the business in 1970, and opened Charlies Exchange and Pionera Museum at the end of Pioneer Crescent by the orange bridge in Parksville.  It was truly their dream.  After 13 years of successful operation, they sold the museum and retired.  Together they spent the next 10 years travelling in their motorhome and wintering in Arizona as “snowbirds”.   They took great pride in their property on Molliet Street working in the garden filled with every type of tree and shrubbery imaginable and enjoyed many nights in their garden around the firepit with family and friends.  After Charlie passed away in 1989, Pat kept up the yard for a few years.  Eventually the work became too much for her and in 1997 she moved into  a care facility  where she enjoyed making new memories,  joining in on activities, and making new friends.

She is survived by her daughter, Linda, who spent many hours with her and caring for her, and her lifelong friend, Irene Finholm -  Irene took Pat on her first and only cruise to Alaska; niece, Laurel Jensen who came for many visits from Alberta to see her; nephews, Jerry Jensen, and Ted Jensen; and niece Fern Jensen; many great nieces, nephews, extended family members and friends.

We thank the staff at Stanford Pace for the excellent care they provided to Pat during her time with them, especially in her final days.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at Yates Funeral Chapel at 1000 Allsbrook Road, Parksville with a reception to follow in the Reception Centre. Those wishing to honour Pat’s memory may do so by making a donation in her name to either the CNIB or BC Lung Association.  Flowers would be gratefully acceptable as well.