Arthur Galisky passed away quietly February 22, 2004 at the age of 90.
He was born July 8, 1913 in Collettsville, B.C.
His family moved to Alberta in 1914. Art grew up in the Rocky Mountain House and Red Deer area.
He met his bride-to-be Jean Jacobsen, while working for her uncle.
Art and Jean moved to Giscome, B.C. and were married in Prince George March 17, 1938, Saint Patrick's Day.
They lived in Giscome for eight years, where Art worked at the sawmill. They had two children while living there, Dale and Milt.
Art and Jean decided to move to Prince George, where their oldest daughter Arlene was born.
In 1947 Art formed a partnership with two others and bought a sawmill. This started out all right, but turned out to have very little profit. Art went back to contracting out for other mills.
In 1951 they moved to the Hixon area and lived there until 1962. Four more children, Dawn, Pat, Ron and Merlene were born while living there.
Art worked in sawmills and was also a faller and buckerman during this time. It was here that he met Paul Colebank and formed at partnership.
Art and Paul found work at Horsefly in the summer of 1961 through Whitey Andersen, who had been a neighbour at the Ranger Station in Hixon.
Art and Jean moved to the Williams Lake area in the spring of 1962. This is where Art and Paul incorporated a company and called it Prairie Creek Logging Ltd.
In the fall of 1962 Art and Jean moved into Williams Lake. They had some very good years living there.
Their youngest son, Lawrence was born in 1963.
Business was going well, and they were finally able to take extended holidays. Every year they went to Hawaii. In 1973 Art collapsed out in the bush and had to retire because of health problems.
It took a bit of adjustment, but Art finally started to enjoy his retirement.
For the last thirty years he could be found during three seasons of the year out on the golf course.
Art and Jean made two trips to Chile to visit their son Ron, which was a real adventure for them both. Jean loved to travel, Art was always happiest back home.
Jean died in 1996. After nearly 59 years together, we didn't think Art would ever recover from the loss.
He never stopped missing her, but did start to enjoy life again.
Besides golfing, the last seven years were spent walking with his friend Anne, coffee at Tim Hortons, and spending a lot of time visiting friends.
Art leaves behind to mourn: his children Dale, Milt (Ramona), Arlene, Dawn, Pat (John) Drift, Ron (Tamara), Merlene (Doug) Frankiw, and Lawrence (Nathalie), his grandchildren Elna, Randy and Tracey, Tracey and John, Tera Blake, Zach and Brett Drift, Bryce and Travis, Garrett Nelson, Megan and Kelsie Frankiw, James LaFlamme and nine great grandchildren.
Art was predeceased by his parents Andrew and Julia, brother Andy, half sister Anne, half brothers Frank and Henry, and his wife Jean.