Erwin Walter Karnapke

June 21, 1934 - June 8, 2023
In Loving Memory ~
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our husband and father, Erwin Karnapke on the morning of June 8, 2023 with family by his side.
Dad was born to Willi and Lisbet and raised in Berlin, Germany along with his two older brothers.
At the age of 20 he travelled to Canada to join his older brother Heinz and started his first career as a tree faller in Lumby, B.C.
After a short time in Alberta driving a grain truck Dad returned to B.C. and settled in Williams Lake returning to the bush working for the Kohnke Brothers.
It was in Williams Lake that Dad met the love of his life, Hilda. Mom and Dad were married in April of 1960, and in 1964 Ramona was born, followed in 1965 by Carmen.
With a new baby at home Dad decided that working in the bush took too much time away from his family and so changed careers to become an excavator operator and retired after many years working for Clark Excavating.
Dad had a passion for music and an aptitude for fixing all things electronic. He put together his own sound systems and helped many friends with theirs. Many evenings were spent in the living room listening to music while working on crossword puzzles.
Dad was a devoted family man and along with Mom raised two independent daughters and made sure that we could do, or at the very least, knew how to get things done. He taught us how to drive but before getting behind the wheel insisted that we knew how to change a tire. No daughter of Dad's was going to be left stranded on the side of the road because of a flat tire.
Living by the lake we spent countless hours waterskiing, swimming, roasting hotdogs and marshmallows and visiting with family and friends.
Dad always said he wanted to die at home but after complications from a stroke had to leave his home of 55 years and move to the long-term care unit at the Williams Lake Seniors Village where he spent the last two and a half years of his life.
Predeceased by his parents and older brothers Heinz and Horst and sisters-in-law, Elvira and Ingrid.
Survived by his wife of 63 years, Hildegard and his daughters Ramona (Allan) and Carmen (Richard), nephews Arno, Juergen and Bernd and niece Christel, along with their families.

Für immer in unseren Herzen.
In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Williams Lake SPCA or a charity of your choice.
There will be no service as per Dad's wishes.