Matt Super

Matt Super (born February 10, 1932) passed away peacefully January 22, 2022 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer.

Matt is predeceased by his wife Helen (1933-2013), his brother Joe, and his parents John and Mary. He is survived by his sons Rick and David, his daughter Sandra (Michael), his grandchildren Andrea (Sarah) and Katryna (Brian), his great-grandchildren Nathan, Ben and Logan. A fourth great-grandson is due in March. He’s also survived by his brothers John (Lil) and Tony; and by their children and grandchildren.

Born in Cumberland, Matt’s family moved to Port Alberni when his father found work in the local sawmill. Matt grew up hunting, fishing and doing chores for his family – but occasionally found time for basketball. He also learned wine-making (and wine drinking) from his father at a young age. After finishing with school, he worked as a commercial fisherman (who couldn’t swim) and did a short stint setting chokers in the woods, before moving into the sawmill as a planer feeder and lumber grader.

In 1952, he and Helen began a marriage that lasted for 61 years. In 1963 he moved the family to Nanaimo to begin work at Harmac’s #3 Woodroom as a lumber grader. Shortly thereafter, he became a sawmill supervisor, then a shipping foreman. But he’s best remembered as the Quality Control Supervisor who taught lumber grading to thousands of men and women until his retirement in 1992.

Along the way, he played golf, made wine (and drank it with all comers), curled, bowled, played softball, danced with Helen, coached his kids, loved his grandkids, and complained about how the world was going to hell.

His gruff exterior hid a great big soft heart. We’ll miss you, Dad!