Woch, Erika

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Erika Woch passed away gently on September 12th, 2012. She will be sadly missed by her children, Edward Frederick Woch, Angela Dyck (Bill), Lydia Marston-Blaauw (Chris Hunt), grandchildren Leilani Ayley, Adam Marston, Amara Hunt, Julianna Hunt, and great grandson Tristan Ayley. She was predeceased by her husband of 61 years, Frederick in 2009.

Erika was one of the brave German immigrants to Canada who arrived in the early 1950’s. Her husband having made the journey a few months ahead of her, she and her 4 year old daughter Lydia travelled across the Atlantic alone to join him in a rugged, new mining town, Atikokan, in Northern Ontario. In 1957 the family, now with another baby daughter, Angela, made their way to the Okanagan where the family made their permanent Canadian home. In 1961 their son Edward was born in Kelowna.

Together with her husband, Erika worked hard to establish several construction businesses, beginning with home building, moving on to Ski lift installations on remote mountain tops and finally specialised industrial buildings. Erika was the families’ real estate expert, the designer, the payroll and accounting expert and the chief organiser of all her husband’s enterprises.

Erika and her husband Fred first settled in Kelowna on Pandosy Street, then Glenmore and Lakeview Heights. In their early 50’s Erika and Fred decided to adopt a no less busy but more idyllic rural life – they bought land in Peachland and planted an orchard. Erika always concentrated on her children, grandchildren and on building beautiful gardens. She had a keen eye for aesthetics, was a master chef in the kitchen and made her home the heart of a family which grew with four grandchildren and a great grandchild.

Full of compassion, always ready with a hug or a kiss, Erika was a loving and devoted mother and wife. She had a strong spiritual connection to natural places, nurtured and cared for many beloved family pets. Erika had a passion for travel and an adventurous outlook on life. She loved to sing and dance and passed that love on to her children and grandchildren.

A celebration of life was held in Erika’s home in Peachland on Sunday, September 16, 2012.