Robert Joseph Mattioli

With profound sadness in our hearts, the family of Robert (Bob) Joseph Mattioli, announce his passing on November 28th, 2020. After a complicated, and lengthy battle with heart disease, he slipped away peacefully surrounded with the love of his life partner, Lynne (Joyce) Gardner. Bob passed away at the age of 73 in Kamloops British Columbia.

Dad was born in Kamloops, British Columbia on February 14th, 1947 to parents Tino and Julie Mattioli, the oldest of three children. He was predeceased by his father Tino in 2004, mother Julie in 2016, as well as nephew Trevor Frolek in 2001.

He is survived by his life partner Lynne Gardner of Kamloops, British Columbia, daughter Bonnie (Brodie) Kempton of Dundurn, Saskatchewan and son Brian Mattioli (Julie Martel) of Canmore, Alberta. He will be deeply missed by his two grandsons, Logan and Barrett Kempton, "The Bandits" he would lovingly call them. He is also survived by his two siblings, Donna (Ray) Frolek, and Rick (Philomena) Mattioli both of Kamloops, British Columbia, as well as by several nieces and nephews.

As a child, Dad’s dream was to one day join the RCMP, and like lots of young boys, he also dreamed of becoming a firefighter. As a young man, he turned his dreams into a reality and graduated from the RCMP Academy, Depot Division in Regina, Saskatchewan in 1966 at the age of nineteen. During his time served in the RCMP, he lived in Banff, Alberta where he met his wife Linda, the mother of his two children. He also served in Slave Lake, Alberta where their first child Brian was born. After nearly a decade with the RCMP, Dad decided to take a chance and left the force in hopes of pursuing his other childhood dream. A move back to Banff, saw him managing a restaurant for a few years, when their second child Bonnie was born. In 1979, one more final move, this one back to his home town of Kamloops, British Columbia where he became a full-time member of the City of Kamloops Fire Department. Dad was so proud of his career, and was promoted to Captain during his final years on the fire department. He was respected, hardworking, and liked by so many, and made several life long friendships. He will be missed by his close friends, Lorne and Fran Nelson, Jim Bell and Tom Dobrovolny, all friendships he made throughout his career. A special thank you to these people, who helped him, and visited so often.

Dad absolutely loved the outdoors. In his day, he was an avid fisherman, hunter, and in later years enjoyed quadding in and around the Kamloops area with his friends. His passions were passed on through generations, for those of you who know Brian and Julie, you’d know they love to fish! His two grandsons inherited his hunting gear, and share his love for the sport. Dad was so proud of Logan’s buck, and will be watching over Barrett next season when he shoots his first one.

Due to his declining health, Dad couldn’t travel much in retirement, but he just loved making the drive to Saskatchewan. He was able to stop to visit Brian and Julie in Canmore, then he and Lynne would continue on through the prairies, listening to old classic country and singing the whole way. I will forever cherish those visits, our morning coffee together, watching and listening to the symphony of geese flying over during our happy hour on the deck. We will always think about him any time one of us needs to buy new tires, Dad just loved to talk tires! There are no words to describe how much he will be missed.

A very loving thank you to Lynne, Dad’s best friend and life partner. He loved you so much. You showed him compassion and grace, and most of all unconditional love, right up to the very end. We are so blessed to have you in our lives, the boys adore their Baba.

Many thanks to the first responders for their untiring efforts and kindness the night Dad left us. Thank you to all of the cardiac specialists, nurses and support staff on 7N at RIH for their professionalism over the years in caring for our Dad. A special thank you to Jackie Pelton, my life long friend who went above and beyond to make our Dad feel safe and cared for in the hospital during such uncertain times. Your many visits and professional consultations made him feel special and made a very difficult time, just a little bit easier. We appreciate each and every one of you.

Our hearts are broken as we say goodbye, but we know he is now resting easy. We will move forward in our lives knowing he is with us always, like a guardian angel, and in our hearts forever.

Due to the current health restrictions, the family hopes to have a celebration of life for Bob at a later time.