Cameron Driedger

It is with great sadness the family announces Cameron’s passing in the early morning of Monday, August 15, 2022, age of 90, at Cypress House, Swift Current, SK. Cameron was a loving father, grandfather, great-grandfather, son, brother, and friend who will be lovingly remembered and cherished by his family and all who knew him.

Cameron was predeceased by his loving and devoted wife of 64 years, Joyce Elaine Driedger (nee Millar) in 2018; his parents, Jack & Lydia Driedger; and his parents-in-law, William “Bill” & Jennie Millar.

Cameron is survived by his children and their families, his son, John (Charis) Driedger and their son, Keaton; his daughter, Karen “Kari” (Glenn) Moore and their children, Ken (Stacy) (Keiran and Sawyer), Bob (Amy) (Eloise and Lachlan), and Allison (Tyson) (Dawson and Cooper); his sisters, Donna and Joan; his sister-in-law, Carole; his brother-in-law, Ron (Corinne); and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Cameron Norman Robert Driedger was born on a train near Bethune, SK on March 31, 1932. He met the love of his life, Joyce Millar, at the Bank of Nova Scotia in Lumby, BC and they were married in 1953. His 40 year banking career took them across the country from Victoria, BC to Toronto, ON before retiring to Kelowna, BC in 1991. He was a well-respected and much loved man and a wonderful role model. 

The family wishes to acknowledge and thank the loving and caring staff at Cypress House. It was evident and very much noticed and appreciated.   Cameron would comment “this is a good place” and “it was a good move.” You made it feel like home for him and always welcomed us, his family.

Cameron was ever mindful of his great grandchildren’s ongoing medical needs over the years, always wanting to assist in any way he could.  In lieu of flowers and in memory of Cameron Driedger, donations made to the Alberta Children’s Hospital or the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital would be appreciated by the family.

A private family Celebration of Life was held on Sunday, September 4, 2022 and a recording of the tribute can be viewed here or below. The slideshow can be viewed here. A PDF of the service card can also be viewed below. 

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Tribute given by Kari and John

Kari - Where do we start? – let’s start at the very beginning. Dad was born on a train, near Bethune, Saskatchewan on March 31, 1932 and as most know, his name, Cameron Norman Robert was derived from having been born on a CNR train. We celebrated his 90th birthday in this very room this past March. Dad was the middle child born to Jack and Lydia Driedger. Older sister Donna first and Joan followed a year after Dad. The 3 Driedger kids were close, not only in birth order, but growing up and to this day. Not many 89, 90 and 91 years old siblings could say they were all still here. They counted themselves very lucky. They had so much fun when they got together – Dad’s sisters will also miss him dearly.

John - Dad grew up in Osler, not far from Saskatoon. He spent a lot of time at the family farm near Osler. Dad’s father ran a little store in Osler and to supplement the family income, they had about 4 acres which accommodated the raising of some pigs, chickens and mink. 

We came across a Bio Dad started in 2000. It’s 15 pages long but will try not to lose our audience by reading the whole thing, and will share a couple excerpts from it, Dad writes:

“The mink were a very interesting experience. Those little varmints are very temperamental and require a lot of attention. We fed them horsemeat or for a real treat, gophers. Dad would buy an old horse and pasture it until he needed it for feed. I would supplement my 5 cent a week allowance by catching gophers.

To those of you, not having grown up on the prairies, I will tell you how you do it. Go to a farmers pasture close to a dugout with water, fill a bucket, find a gopher hole. Then with about 20 feet of binder twine, you make a slip knot at one end, a noose if you will, and carefully place it around the hole. Lay out the twine so that the other end is about 20 feet from the hole. Now, dump the bucket of water in the hole and run to the end of the string. When the wet gopher pops its head up to see what the hell is going on, you yank the string and you’ve got yourself a gopher.

A dead gopher made the farmer happy, the municipality happy and the mink happy. Dad would give me 1 cent for the carcass, and the municipality would give me 1 cent as bounty for the tail. Everybody was happy."

In 1946 Nana and Poppy sold whatever they had, packed the 3 kids and the dog into the car and headed for British Columbia. They ended up in the North Surrey/Whalley area. Dad was 14 years old at the time.

Three or four years later as Dad was preparing to graduate from High School his dad was at his bank one day when the manager came up to him. He had heard Poppy had a son who was graduating and wondered what his plans were. Would he be interested in a job in the bank? Dad didn’t know what he was going to do after graduation, so he applied for the job and became employed by the Bank of Nova Scotia, Whalley branch in 1950. His starting salary was $1100. per year. That is about $90 per month. So, after paying the going rate for board and room of $45 per month, that left $45 for hamburgers and chasing girls.

Within one year of being hired, Dad was transferred to Lumby branch, just down the road from Vernon. Dad had been there about a week when he asked co-worker Al about that cute young lady who sat outside the manager’s office. He told Dad what he wanted to hear - he didn’t think she had anything serious going on at present. Dad asked him what he thought of him asking her out for a date. He said, “she is very nice person, good luck, give it your best shot.”

So, the next day Dad sidled over to Mom and asked her if she would be interested in going to Vernon on Saturday and take in a movie. She thought about it for a nano second and said YES. Next day Dad told Al he got the date, but not having a car he had a transportation problem. Dad told him if he happened to be going to Vernon on Saturday it sure would be great if they could get a lift. Al drove a MORRIS Minor, which is bigger than a shoebox but smaller than a Volkswagen bug. Dad figured the confining back seat would help set the mood for the dark theatre - certainly much more effective than a bus.

Next day Dad proudly tells his date everything is set for Saturday, he has arranged with Al to take them to Vernon to the movie. Mom can’t believe it. She said “you don’t know this, but Al has been trying to get me to go out with him for two years - You come to town and within one week you not only get a date with me, but you get Al to drive us to it!!!!”

Mom must have been suitably impressed by Dad’s charm because a couple of years later they got married and they had celebrated their 64th wedding anniversary, just before Mom passed away in 2018.

Another little Lumby story that cannot go untold – Again, in Dad’s words:

“As mentioned Al would come around at the end of the day to check off my tellers journal and lock up the cash and revolver in the tin box. One day I picked up the handgun, I think it was a 45 caliber, to put it in the tin box. I had it in my hand with my finger on the trigger, and said, “gee Al, I sure would like to fire this thing sometime.” Well, I can’t explain why my finger pulled the trigger but it did, the gun went off, big bang, cloud of blue smoke in and around my teller’s cage. The bullet hit the wooden molding where a glass panel came up from the counter top and then bounced back into the waste paper basket. Lucky for me the bank manager was not in at the time. Al ran to the door, opened it, and started waving it back and forth to try to suck the smoke out of the bank.

The manager never learned what happened. From then on I always kept my inkwell over the hole in the molding. I have often wondered what would have happened if the gun had been pointed about 15 degrees higher. My future wife was in direct line of fire about 25 feet away. I still have the spent bullet; it’s a good luck charm."

We remember as kids looking in Dad’s jewel box and seeing the lead slug, and we never tired of hearing the story of how he almost did our mother in!

Kari - Auntie Carole tells us that it wasn’t until his Scotiabank Retirement party after 40 years, that they learned of this story. In shock, Dad said to Carol and Harvey, have you not heard this story? And they hadn’t but apparently Grandma and Grandpa had and she quickly forgave him for almost shooting her sister, as she knew how much he loved her.

We had a wonderful childhood – camping trips, Dad racing into brush to save John and our cousin who’d wandered into a hornets nest, to find out Dad is seriously allergic to bees, wasps, hornets!! Dad was a jack of all trades – landscaped yards, built fences, finished rumpus rooms, built a heath kit radio and stereo system, beautiful cabinet and speakers to put it in, built a grandfather clock, and one spectacular dollhouse for Allison, that his great-grandchildren are still enjoying at our house. Dad said it’s a good thing he only had one granddaughter, as he’d only build one dollhouse – it was quite a project!  He built a beautiful CN station bar in their Kelowna house, that he submitted pictures of to Canadian Workshop magazine and one first prize for. And John, usually watching over Dad’s shoulder picked up many of his tricks of the trade, and has become even more talented and experienced in his own right with his own projects, but it all started as Dad’s shadow.

Dad was transferred many times over his 40 year banking career, each time making new friends and sadly leaving them when on to the next branch. To this day they have friends from Victoria to Toronto, who they’ve kept in touch with for the past 50-60 years, and until the last 5-10 years, when the opportunity arose, they would still get together for holidays or special occasions. They made lifelong friends in the banking world.

Every house they had, they painted and papered and spruced it up over the years. Dad always shared with our children, as they became homeowners, how he and mom had improved houses they bought and how they reaped the benefits each time they sold, making a profit on the sale. In turn our kids have kept Papa’s words of wisdom in mind and are always working towards improving their homes. Currently John and Keaton are working on a Condo project together, taking it down to the studs basically and redoing it.

Dad retired in 1990 and prior to that they had bought a lot overlooking the lake in Kelowna and designed their beautiful home which they moved into in 1992. As most here know, sadly that home was destroyed in the big Kelowna fire of 2003, but fortunately they had some forewarning they “could” be evacuated and to be on the safe side they put photographs, artwork, computer hard drive and valuables into their vehicles, “just in case,” never thinking they’d actually be evacuated! So, they had their treasured possessions to move back into the house after they rebuilt. I think part of what allowed them to get through the shock of losing their home and the rebuild, was they had already decided to downsize and had bought a condo that was in the early stages, they’d already made the mental “separation” from the Sandpiper house, so it was a little easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Mom enjoyed about 10 years at Park Place, before going to long term care, and Dad thoroughly enjoyed 16 years at Park Place, the convenience of having everything so close and the friendships made at Park Place. He was so content there, we never dreamed he’d leave. With his health issues and slowing down the previous couple years, it became apparent he was needing more help than living on his own. The best part was he made the decision on his own. We made his place at Cypress House as familiar to him as we could and there were days I think he thought he was still in Kelowna.  It was a great comfort to know he was well looked after here.  

We are ever so grateful for the 11 ½ months we had dad 5 minutes away from us in Swift Current. We all enjoyed more visits in Swift Current than any of us would have otherwise had this past year, had we not had him here. 

Thankfully, over the years, Mom and Dad enjoyed a number of wonderful holidays together – they cruised the Panama Canal and up to Alaska – visited Portugal, Hawaii and Mexico a number of times. John, Keaton and Glenn took two “men’s trips” with Dad, dubbed the “3 ½ Men holidays” Keaton being the “half” to the mountains, including Banff, Lake Louise and the Columbia Icefields, which were a great time. Glenn and I took a couple Alaskan cruises with Dad and thoroughly enjoyed those holidays with him.

One of our biggest surprises to our kids was the time we arranged for mom and dad to meet us in Las Vegas. The kids and I shopped, Glenn stayed back (he was really sad he couldn’t go shopping) and he met mom and dad and settled them into their room and when the kids and I arrived back from shopping, they were all shocked to find Nana and Papa there – we spent a few fun days together and cherish those memories.

Lynn and Marian, Dad’s cousin and wife – Lynn’s Dad, Dad’s Uncle Alfred were more like friends than Uncle and Nephew, as there was only 9 years between them, so they grew up fishing and hunting gophers together. Don and Gail, Don and Glenn took a road trip to Kelowna one year, Don stirred up Mom’s kitchen and produced a gourmet meal. Mom was NOT used to someone else in her kitchen, so you must have impressed her to be allowed in!! Many a drink were consumed at Dad’s CN station bar that weekend. Don and Gail joined us in Kelowna at Mom and Dad’s timeshare and great times were shared there, and at Mom and Dad’s condo. Cindy! Tyson’s mom – you travelled with us to Kelowna to visit your Aunt and Uncle and we ran into washed out roads and had to take a detour through Needles, take the ferry to Nakusp in the dark of night, following a kind trucker to get us where we needed to get to, arriving at Dad’s at 3:00 a.m.! We’ve laughed over the years at our Amazing Race to Kelowna. And on one of Dad’s visits to Swift Current, you and David graciously hosted us at your farm, and also a day trip to Cypress. Karen and Gordon, you’ve met dad at our kids weddings and also had us out to your farm for a visit.  Kevin and Kathy, you met dad at our basement christening party and at our kids’ weddings and have been friends for many years. Lynda, you and I travelled to Kelowna together to visit both our fathers a couple times. Years later, Dad still laughed at my mortification the morning we were making an early departure. He accompanied us to the parkade to see us off, and “flashed” us (albeit in his boxers and dressing gown, but Still!!!!)  

Friends and family have emailed, sent cards, left tributes on the funeral home website and the comments sum up our Dad.

“My bro was the kindest, nicest, most sincere, honest, loving man with a great sense of humour.”

“He had a long, happy life with an adoring and adored partner and two loving gracious and grateful children. You were the best and I loved you dearly.”

“Haven’t known Cameron nearly as long as all of you, but I must say I really liked this man. He was kind, he was fun and he loved his family. I’ll miss him.”

“Your Dad loved you and appreciated everything you did for him. He was a wonderful Uncle to me.”

“We felt it an honour to have met your Dad. Such a kind person, that sense of humour, along with his interesting and comical stories.”

“Cam was a special fellow. We truly loved all the times we spent with him for his kindness, generosity and his gentle ways. He had a delightful sense of humour and a sparking wit.”

“Cam was a wonderful person…always happy to see you and always smiling.”

“It’s been 49 years since we first met your parents on the transfer to Regina...throughout the years we have many fond memories… We know they are dancing in the sky.”

“He was a fine man and has left you all a wonderful legacy.”

“He was a man of humour, wittiness and a real gentleman.”

“Papa Cam was a CLASS act. Such a nice man.”

Your kind words throughout these last few weeks have meant a lot, and we are blessed to have had him for our Dad and to share Dad’s stories and our stories with you all. If anyone wishes to share any stories, we would love to hear them.

Again, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Cameron Driedger, please visit our floral store.