Obituary of George Daniel

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of George Daniel, a resident of Sunset Prairie, British Columbia, on Saturday, March 11, 2023, in Dawson Creek, British Columbia at the age of 83 years.

George was born January 11, 1940, to Jacques and Eugenie Daniel in White Star, Saskatchewan. 

George grew up in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, where his love of hockey, baseball and hunting began.  He traveled and played in many hockey and baseball tournaments throughout Saskatchewan.  Hunting was his passion, and he collected many deer trophies and shared a lot of stories about his hunting days.

George’s work life started in a small auto repair garage in St. Louis.  He then worked in Churchill, Manitoba, where he and his crew loaded grain onto cargo ships destined for countries around the world.  He often spoke of the different ships and the people who worked on them.

In 1960, while working in a flour mill in Saskatoon, George met Gayle Einarson and they married in May of 1961.  They soon started their family with the arrival of Bonnie, followed by Dean.  In 1965 they decided to move to Dawson Creek and Lona arrived a short time later to complete the family.

George worked for Luc Tremblay for many years at the block plant located across from the Co-op Service Center making concrete cinder blocks.  He then went to work as a carpenter for Kelly DaRos Construction and built many buildings and additions onto various schools throughout the BC Peace District.  George then went to work for South Peace School District 59 in the maintenance shop as a finishing carpenter building cupboards, benches, and various types of cabinets for all the schools throughout the district and retired from there in 2004.

In 1973, George and Gayle moved from town to the family farm in Sunset Prairie to raise cattle and horses.  They loved their farm animals and in the early days raised chickens, a few pigs, milked the cow twice a day for a fair number of years and raised horses.  George really enjoyed the farm and together with Gayle they raised purebred Simmental cattle alongside their commercial Simmental cross cattle herd.  During the summer they often travelled in the Sunset Community Pasture checking on the cows to make sure they were doing well. 

George was very sports minded and liked to play hockey, baseball, and curl.  George’s love of hockey didn’t fade, and he played center for the Dawson Creek Senior Canucks from the mid to late 1960s.  He used to say that’s when hockey was tough, hard hitting, competitive, fun and the arenas were packed with people to the rafters.  The Canucks had a lot of exciting games with the other teams in the League.  In the later years he played for the Dawson Creek Wally’s Oldtimers and had a lot of memories he shared of the trips and tournaments they played in.  George had many fond memories and stories of the hockey players he competed with and against. 

George really loved the outdoors, camping, fishing, and hunting were his favorite retreats and he loved all the various types of wildlife.

George was predeceased by his wife Gayle; parents Jacques and Eugenie; older brother Ernest; older sister Rose Daniel; and step-grandson Jason Lyne.

George is lovingly remembered by his children Bonnie (Ken) Titford, Dean (Colleen) Daniel, Lona (Don) Gies; grandchildren Tanis (Greg), Lisa (Mark), Clarke, Jayme (Cheralynn), Jessica (Chad), Shanai, Lane (Morgan); 16 great grandchildren; oldest brother Henri of Edmonton, AB; youngest brother Remi (Geraldine) of Leduc AB; sister-in-law Shirley (Stulberg) Daniel of Saskatoon SK; as well as numerous  nieces, nephews, relatives and dear friends.

A Celebration of George’s Life will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2023, at 2:30pm at the McLeod School and Community Hall located at 8025, 265 Road, west of Dawson Creek, British Columbia. Pauline Haycock will officiate. 

Very Respectfully, Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium