William Sokoloski

SOKOLOSKI, William - After a short illness in his 95th year, Bill Sokoloski decided to embark on an extended fishing trip on his beloved Tukanee Lake, having enough of the hospital, homes and his pesky arthritic knee, with his wife and daughter Ivy by his side to see him off.

Bill lived most of his life in White River, but spent the last 3 years in Sault Ste. Marie. Bill is survived by his loving wife Mia (nee Margareta Christiansen), his daughter Eva Clubb (Jason) of London, daughter Ivy Strom (Greg) of Sault Ste. Marie and step-daughter Angela Brandenburg of Edmonton. He will be fondly remembered by his grandchildren Matthew (Julia), Kierra (Rohit), Sabrina (Anthony) and Lara (Blake). He will be missed by his sisters-in-law Glady Dereski, Betty Christiansen, Helen Christiansen, all of Sault Ste. Marie, and Judy Sokoloski of Sudbury, his brother-in-law Karl Christiansen Sault Ste. Marie, his cousin Diane Passifiume of Barrie, his nephew Stephen Sokoloski of Ottawa, and numerous nieces and nephews, friends, and new friends at the Koititalo. He is pre-deceased by his mother and father, Molly (Melanie) and James (Eugene) Sokoloski of White River, and brother Raymond of Sudbury.

Bill’s gruff serious nature was tempered by humour and a special softness only those closest to him got to see. Dad became a real sweetie as he became older as his proud stubborn shell softened. Always proud of his Ukrainian heritage, he came from a time when manners and being a gentleman mattered, yet his colourful language was also a part of his identity. He had a loud voice and even louder whistle. He enjoyed the outdoors, wearing only a sweater and vest and a cap, with hands that seemed to never get cold. He enjoyed a healthy life, with an occasional rye and ginger on special occasions, enjoying natural foods from his own efforts: blueberries, mushrooms, potatoes, fish, moose and partridge. He even tried his hand at making wines from the berries he picked. He surprised every doctor by his physical health even into his final months.

Bill was a generous man with his time and felt community to be everything. We’re not sure if another person loved the town of White River the way he did. No matter what trip he and Mia were on, he was always anxious to get home to where life made sense and he could get to the coffee shop to hear the conversations of his friends and neighbours. He lived 90 good years in White River, driving his truck to go for coffee daily, and a drive to check on our camp on Picnic Lake or a look at Tukanee Lake and to see what was happening around town.

Dad lived life with integrity, purpose and service. As a young man, he was a member of the CPR Fire Department, and a founding member of the volunteer White River Fire Department, where he proudly served the community in his role of Deputy Chief for 36 years, training the men who also volunteered their time. He was awarded metals for his exemplary service. Dad was also a Legion member and volunteer, a devoted usher and volunteer for St. Basil’s Catholic Church (he especially loved to run the turkey wheel at Turkey Fun Night), volunteer and member at the Senior’s Harmony Club, and he was the volunteer secretary for the White River Credit Union, typing meeting minutes with his large hands on a manual 1935 Underwood typewriter. He volunteered his time for the renos and improvements of these gathering places, and was a regular at town events, selling tickets for events into his late 80s. He loved to be around people and watch even when he could no longer participate.

Dad was a man who could get things done. He started work with the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) in White River at the age of 18, filling many roles until his retirement as Bridge and Building Foreman at age 60. He convinced the CPR to offer him a plumbing apprenticeship when they weren’t in the habit of offering apprenticeships. He was confident and assertive, and CP Rail awarded him a 35 year pin for safe work with no lost time due to injury in 35 years. He may have missed only a handful of days of work in his lifetime due to an occasional cold or back strain. He was exceptionally strong and rigged up straps and ropes so he could move things himself, like bringing a washing machine or hot water tank into a basement without help. In addition to his Plumber certification, he held certifications for Pipefitter, Welder and Oil Heating Technician. In his retirement, he took courses through Contact North for his Gas Technician certification.

Dad was the man who kept the crochety oil furnaces running at the CPR Station and Bunkhouse. He unfroze waterlines, kept oil switch heaters running from Thunder Bay to near Subury on the CPR track. He also took care of the town water treatment and chlorination (even weekends) until the Township took over. He repaired furnaces and did plumbing fixes for members of the community, often getting a tap on the shoulder during a Legion dance and getting paid with a bag of potatoes. He enjoyed the precision of electrical work and worked to update the electrical and plumbing at the historic house that he and Mia shared for over 55 years, overlooking the White River.

Bill loved all things fishing, and soup, potatoes, pie, ketchup and a good cup of coffee. He would order a plate of spaghetti with a scoop of mashed potatoes right on top to the surprise of any waitress, and sometimes he would add ketchup. He loved a good potluck at the Legion. In his final years, the food items that were dipped in his coffee, from garlic bread to bananas made us chuckle.

Dad grew up in a different era, and it’s amazing to think of the things he saw in his life. He learned to use the computer to type up recipes in his retirement years, leaving his typewriter behind. When he was 30, he built a camp on Picnic Lake, writing letters for 2 years to acquire that piece of property. He built that camp with his brother Raymond and dad and mom, buying plywood from Eaton’s and having it shipped on the train to White River. Then he used a boat and canoe to row it across the lake. That camp is still enjoyed by family today. It was 1 of the first 3 camps built on Picnic Lake.

Dad was a collector of things. He thought that he could use anything that was offered to him, or that he could find discarded, and he spent a lifetime collecting things he thought could be fixed or used. But despite his best intentions, he was a busy man, and no one has that much time to use it all.

Dad remained a single man until 40 when Mia captured his heart to take his focus off of fishing and work. Dad was a very good dancer and loved to dance waltzes and polkas at the Legion, covering the floor like no other. He has numerous curling trophies, likely because his strength and power meant that he could get that rock down the ice at -40 at the outdoor rink in White River when it took monumental effort to move that rock. He played darts at the Legion and Senior’s Harmony Club and had a good shot. He was creative and could make parade floats and other things using his materials of choice, copper pipe and plywood.

Our family would like to thank the Nursing Staff and PSWs at the Finn Home Koitialo for their exceptional kindness and assistance over the last 2 years, and we would also like to thank the Nursing Staff, PSWs and Dr. White and Dr. Chahal for their care and compassion in Bill’s final weeks at Sault Area Hospital. We also like to thank Meighan Gibson for her assistance and unwavering support over the last 2 years, and a special thank you to Anya and Melissa Valja and Bryont Christiansen for stepping in to help dad with his mobility this past fall. We would also like to thank Alban and Maggie Godin for looking after mom and dad’s affairs in White River for the past few years.

We will miss our dad, husband, grandfather and friend, and we celebrate his life, a life well-lived, and we will continue to cherish the memories of our time together. We find ourselves repeating some of his usual phrases with humour in our daily life.

Please join us at Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. E. -705-759-2522) in Sault Ste. Marie on Friday, January 16, 2025 between 2 pm and 5 pm to gather together in Bill’s honour. Prayers at 4:30 pm. A funeral mass, burial and celebration of his life will take place in White River this summer. Donations to the White River Legion, Senior’s Harmony Club or St. Basil’s Catholic Church in Bill’s honour would have been appreciated by him. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Sokoloski family.