We Remember
DRIEDGER, David
September 28, 1940 — July 23, 2025
It is with sadness in our hearts, but also joy in our souls, that we share the news of the passing of David Driedger, who ascended to his Father’s heavenly kingdom on July 23, 2025, to be with his Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ at the age of 84.
David was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on September 28, 1940, to Diedrich and Helena (née Schmidt) Driedger. He was the third youngest of eight siblings, from firstborn to last, which includes the firstborn brother who was also named David and who died as a young child: David, John, Nettie, Mary, Beth, David, Peter, and Abe.
With his rural Saskatchewan youth behind him, David hit the open road with his wife Carol (née Pettifer) and two young sons, Timothy David and Trevor Dean. It was 1967, and he was headed west to Calgary, Alberta in search of greener pastures and more roads to explore. During this season, he refined his driving skills, driving anything big with many wheels: dump trucks, cement trucks, semi-trucks etc. This pursuit led him on many journeys locally, as well as long hauls to Eastern Canada and to the West Coast. Later, he honed his skills on the big tour buses that frequent Banff National Park.
In the spring of 1986, he heeded the call of a warmer climate and journeyed further west to Kelowna. There, he became the Service Manager of a Husky Gas Station, owned and operated by his friends Roger and Remo, while also living with Roger for a time. More change would lead him back to where the rubber meets the road and would eventually see him driving part-time for Swiss Brothers tour bus, Kelowna Rockets hockey bus, and Kelowna City Transit. For the latter, he would eventually become one of their lead driver trainers. David had many opportunities to expand his knowledge of all the North American Highways and Byways from coast, to coast, to coast, to coast of North America. He continued to drive part-time for transit, including shuttling accessibility vans up until the fall/winter of 2024.
An important part of his journey west remains to be told in the form of a very special woman, Elizabeth “Liz” Driedger whom he met in 1987, and who became the love of his life. He married Liz in 1990, and his family instantly doubled with the addition of her daughter Pam and son Jeff, who he welcomed with an open heart. David and Liz created a new, loving life together in their home, with faith, and family, and gardens at its centre, moving from Mugford Rd. to where their current home is on Rutland Rd. S in 1995.
David was widowed in May 2007, when Liz went ahead to help prepare him his place in Heaven along with his parents and brothers David and John.
He remained in the same home in Rutland for 30 years and only left to go to hospice a week before he went to his Father’s house.
The cornerstones to David’s character and values that remained steadfast throughout his life were his faith, family, and friends (all intermingled with big wheels a’movin). Whether you knew him as David, Dave, Mr. Cooper (owner/operator of Cooper’s Hardware), Bullets, Jose, Papa Dave, Grandpa Dave, Uncle Dave, or Dad, you had to be ready for his humour and easy way of interacting with people. Whether he knew them or not, he gave from his heart – always ready to jump full in to help family and friends alike. He was great at listening to the hardest conversations with easy, calm advice and compassion. He made an impression on everyone he met, shining that unforgettable smile and taking a genuine interest in each and every one of us. David always took great pride and joy in spending time with all his grandchildren, engaging them with a loving smile and playful interaction. He had plenty of practice prior to grandchildren with his nieces and nephews. In youthful fashion, he was one of the first in the entire family to be on Facebook, connecting with them, even though many miles apart.
David always loved being very involved in the community in which he lived and worked. You could find him in Kelowna at the Rockets games, participating in the Sikh parade on his motorcycle, involved in the Filipino community, taking part in the Ride for Dads and of course driving the city bus. He impacted many people in his daily interactions and would never hesitate to help out whenever he could.
From youngest to oldest, his family here will have fond memories of David. For many years, he was easily recognizable with his tall stature, cowboy boots, hat, black vest, and various bullet belt buckles – and he is sure to be equally easy to spot when we meet him again!
He is survived by his remaining brothers and sisters Abe Driedger (Patsy), Peter Driedger (Bernice), Beth Bolt (Milton), Mary Giesbrecht, and Nettie Olsen; his eldest son Tim Driedger (wife Heather) and grandson Jerrid (wife Cindy), great-grandson Elias; and granddaughter Breanna (fiancé Devon Nakatsu); son Dean Driedger (wife Lee Ann); Liz’s daughter Pamela Crockett (David Stelmaschuk) and grandsons Zachary Collie (Ashley Collie), Jaydon Wielders, and Jordan Wielders; and Liz’s son Jeff Crockett (Audrey Bridges) and granddaughters Brylee Rogers, Jennavieve Crockett, and Hannah Crockett.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Central Okanagan Food Bank; the Okanagan Motorcycle Ride for Dad; or the Hospice House Kelowna (Central Okanagan Hospice House).
A Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:00 am PDT, at Springfield Funeral Home, 2020 Springfield Road, 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 shortly thereafter.
If you wish to send a condolence, post photos, or share a memory, please scroll down the page to the area call “Condolences”.
LIVESTREAM:
Service
Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:00 am PDT
Location
SPRINGFIELD FUNERAL HOME
Share with Others:
Central Okanagan Food Bank; the Okanagan Motorcycle Ride for Dad; or the Hospice House Kelowna (Central Okanagan Hospice House) Link: cofoodbank.com, ridefordad.ca/chapter/okanagan, hospicehousekelowna.com
Service Information
Service Details
The service for DRIEDGER, David is scheduled for Friday, August 8, 2025, at 10:00 am PDT. Below you will find the map for the service location and the contact information should you have any questions.
Address & Contact for Service Location:
SPRINGFIELD FUNERAL HOME
2020 Springfield Road Kelowna, BC
Phone:
Special Requests:
None.
Funeral Pointers:
Condolences
To the Driedger family. So sorry for Dave’s passing. He was a great friend and I will never forget our good times together.
To the Driedger family so sorry for your loss
I have worked with Dave aka Bullets from 1996 until present. I would like to offer my sincere condolences to the many family members of this Great man. Seeing him almost every morning for over 20 years and not having a bad memory of him is something to say of what a happy and outgoing man he was. I could go on for a long time…. Dave may you rest in peace, you deserve nothing but the best where ever you are, I’ll miss you my friend 😪
Troy Nouwen
Sorry i could not bee there Tim and Dean! Ill always remember your dad as a jokester who loved to give me a hard time in fun! Even though I knew him as my Uncle Dave I hung the handle Daredevil on him when I was younger and it just stuck! He will be missed dearly, my condolences!
My condolences to the family. May the blessings be to my friend of many years.
Our heartfelt condolences to whole family. Sending you all love and strength.
Elna & Martin von Dach
Condolences and much love to Y’all. My Dad mistakenly calls me David sometimes. That is one of the best compliments. I am glad that I have some resemblances of my wonderful Uncle Dave. I am grateful that I will see Uncle Dave again in eternity! Praise be to our Savior Jesus Christ!
I remember years ago when Dave, Liz, Gabe and I went to the Hedley Blast country music festival. We planned to spend the night there, so we pitched our tent and got settled in. But it started to pour rain, so there was Dave and I outside in the downpour, trying to get the rain fly on, while Liz and Gabe sat inside, cozy and dry and laughing their heads off at us. He was a great guy, always there to lend a helping hand when it was needed, and such a wonderful grandpa to all the little ones. He will be missed. My condolences and prayers go out to his family. Linda
I am proud to call Dave my Uncle. I got to know him much better as an adult, when our family travelled through Kelowna on many occasions over the last couple of decades. He and I had many insightful conversations over the years about a great many topics, from family history, to sports, to truck driving, to theology. I appreciated his candor, his wit, and his hospitality. I have many memories from time spent with him in Kelowna – knocking apples from the trees with our golf shots at Orchard Greens (we were both pretty good at that), watching him zipping around with our kids at the go-kart track, playing mini golf, (in both daylight and darkness), parimutuel betting on the mechanical horse-racing table at the casino downtown, and just sitting in his living room conversing. One story he related to me has always struck me: he recounted how another driver sitting in with him in his rig commented that Dave was the smoothest-shifting gear-jammer he had ever seen, and Dave told me that he’d replied to the fellow “if you think I’m smooth, you should see the guy who taught ME.” That fellow, of course, was my father, who had schooled Uncle Dave on the big rigs, and drove tandem down east and back with Dave at Kingsway Freightlines from 1967-1969. I’ve always been impressed by this story, as it showed Uncle Dave as a man who would take a compliment given to himself, and pay it forward, recognizing another individual’s contibution to his abilities. I was also recently very impressed with his helpfulness, when he offered to help with a major “house-cleaning” task that my wife and I were forced to undertake, when her mother had to leave her home in Kelowna. Uncle Dave offered to help us out with his best effort, even though he was undergoing cancer treatment at that same time. He would call us in the morning while we were in town, and inquire when we were starting on tasks that day, and if there was anything he could do to assist. And assist he did, as he put his driving skills to good use, helping us to take various items to the food bank, the salvation army, the electronics recycling facility, and the dump. I was truly amazed at his capacity to give of himself, even as he was undergoing treatment. We asked him on several occasions if he wanted to sit a day out, but he was almost always raring to go. My family and I will dearly miss him.
Our sincere condolences to Dave’s family. We first met Dave during his time in the Canadian Rockies, and later in Kelowna. where we both worked for the Kelowna Rockets. He was a great person, always a good friend, and he will be missed. Rest in peace, Dave..
Today we said goodbye to a dear friend 🧡 and mentor. He was a huge influence to my Bus Driving career. He drove still till he was 84. Dave (Bullets) was a caring and gentle man who was a friend 🧡 to all. Always time for a chat or even coffee
Gone but never forgotten. 🙏 Prayers to his Family . 🙏 He always asked how his girlfriend was my. wife Lana. I’d always say great. To the family our deepest condolences. RIP DAVE- BULLETS. Frank and Lana
A true gentleman..One of the finest role models I’ve had. Not only at Kelowna Transit but in my every day life. Honourable. Genuine. Caring to all.
My sincerest condolences to Dave’s family.