CHARLESON, Dave

May 5, 1936 — December 27, 2025

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the loss of Dave Charleson, who passed away on December 27, 2025, in Kelowna, British Columbia.

Dave is lovingly remembered by his wife of 67 years, JoAnne; children Dean (Diana) Charleson, Brenda (Roy) Lucken, David (Cindy) Charleson, and Barbara (Wes) Pohl; nine grandchildren; and two great-grandsons.

He now goes to join those who passed before him, including his beloved grandson, David James Charleson.

Dave was born in Brandon, Manitoba, where he spent his childhood with his brother, Don Charleson.  At a dance, at the Palladium Dance Hall in Brandon, he met the love of his life, JoAnne.  He started his career as a welder/pipe fitter, and eventually a superintendent overseeing large-scale industrial projects throughout Canada and the United States.  He loved his work and kept working until he was 75 years of age.  Dave and JoAnne moved throughout their lives together from Regina, Calgary, with a long-term stop in Edmonton, to enjoying retirement in Peachland and Kelowna, BC.

A Funeral Service will be held on FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2026, at 10:30 AM, located at ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CATHEDRAL, 608 Sutherland Avenue, Kelowna, BC. If you are unable to attend in person, please join the family online by Livestream at the time of the service (see below), a recording will be made available to view in 3-5 days.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the KGH Foundation Cardiac Care in honour of Dave.

If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area called “Condolences”.

LIVESTREAM PROVIDED BY ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS CATHEDRAL:

EULOGY:

Today we gather to honour my father, Dave Charleson, a man who lived a rich and full 89 and a half years — and yet, somehow, it still feels too short.

Above all else, our dad was a dedicated family man. He loved deeply and completely — his children, his grandchildren, and his great-grandchildren. To him, there were no greater people in the world than his grandkids. He believed in them without hesitation or condition, and they felt that belief every single day through his kindness, encouragement, and quiet pride.

He was married to his favourite person, JoAnne, for 67 years. Their love was constant, steady, and unmistakable. No matter where he was in the world, my dad never missed an anniversary without buying mom flowers — even if it meant tracking them down in the most unlikely of places. He loved her immensely, and it showed in both the big gestures and the everyday moments.

Dad had a wonderful sense of humour and a deep appreciation for a good laugh. There was one idea he had of a restaurant designed on a fab shop that got more outrageous the longer it was discussed.  He loved to have a comical banter with his brother, Don, and had weekly telephone calls with him right up until this past Christmas Day.  Dad was also a music lover.  You never quite knew what music you’d hear when you walked into the room — it might be opera, or it might be Willie Nelson — but whatever it was, it was played with enthusiasm and joy.

His roots stretched back to Scotland, Ireland, and England, but he was a Canadian through and through. And more specifically, he was a proud Edmontonian — and an even prouder Oilers fan. That allegiance never wavered.  In fact, in honour of my dad, on the count of three let’s all give a resounding “Let’s Go Oilers”. One Two Three!

He was also, quite simply, the best driver I’ve ever known. There is no one I would have rather been driven by through snowy mountain passes than my dad. Calm, confident, steady — you always knew you were safe with him behind the wheel.

In his retirement years, he enjoyed warmer climates like Arizona and California and later made a beautiful life for himself and our mom in Peachland and Kelowna. At the house on the hill in Peachland, he put his welding skills to work and built a staircase so solid the family is convinced it will last well into the next millennium. It stands there still — strong, reliable, and enduring — much like him.

Some of my earliest memories are of family camping trips to Waterhen Lake. The scenery was beautiful, the fishing was good, and the flying squirrels flying overhead absolutely terrified me. We had a massive canvas tent that took what felt like an entire army to set up. Luckily, I was too young to help — a fact I suspect my siblings still discuss when I’m not around. I have that tent now, tucked away in a shed. I can’t bring myself to get rid of it, because it holds so many memories of time spent together, of family, of my dad.

In the end – all of us hope to have a good story, and if we are lucky, a legacy that we can look back at – and be proud of. Our father’s legacy of fairness, fierce independence and an attitude to never stop until the job is done will continue to live on through all of us – his children -and those whose paths crossed his. Dad would be proud of his legacy of fairness, leadership and always trying to do things in the best way possible and this will continue to live on – through of his children.

Our father showed his love through presence, reliability, and quiet acts of devotion. He taught us what it means to show up — for your family, for the people you love, again and again.

We wish we had more time with him. But we are so grateful for the years we did have — for the laughter, the lessons, the love, and the unwavering sense of being cared for.

Dad, thank you for everything. You are deeply loved, and you will be profoundly missed.

Service Details

The service for CHARLESON, Dave is scheduled for Friday, January 2, 2026, at 10:30 AM. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.

Address & Contact for Service Location:

St. Michael and All Angels Cathedral

608 Sutherland Ave, Kelowna, BC

Phone:

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Special Requests:

None.

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Funeral Pointers: