1938-2020 ~ John Fredrick Michael Birchall, born November 19, 1938, died peacefully January 28, 2020 at the Kelowna Hospital from mesothelioma, age 81. Originally from Pender Island BC, John was predeceased by his parents Peter FV Moore (d. 1939) and Mavis Devlin (nee Ferguson) Ross (d. 2012), and his son Robert (d. 2018). John was less than a year old when his father was lost at sea and the family name was changed to Birchall when his mother remarried after the war.
He leaves behind his cherished wife Mary (nee Squinas); his sons Richard (Susan) of Deep River, ON and Ron (Bonnie) of Westbank, BC; his daughter-in-law Cathy of Kelowna, BC; and his grandchildren Hannah, Thomas, Isaac and Eric. He will be dearly missed by his sister- in-law Emily Squinas, many of Mary's cousins, as well as numerous nieces and nephews of the Anahim Lake area.
Many thanks to Drs. Edward Hardy, Allison Rankin and William Lemiski of the Vernon Jubilee Hospital who helped John through this last year, extending his time with us past all expectations. John was able to celebrate his 56th anniversary with Mary on New Year's Eve 2019 with dinner and musical entertainment at the Chatsworth Retirement Residence in Kelowna. John's exposure to asbestos occurred during many years working in construction in Kamloops, BC. A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Canadian Mesothelioma Foundation, www.cmfonline.org, or your local food bank would be appreciated by the family. Condolences may be sent to the family by visiting www.springfieldfuneralhome.com.
Springfield Funeral Home