It is with great sorrow that we announce the passing of Marvin Arthur Rowe of Rainy River Ontario formerly of Thunder Bay, on Tuesday October the 23rd 2012 at La Verendrye General Hospital in Fort Frances with his family by his side.
Marvin was born December the 27th 1927, in Silver Park Saskatchewan to Walter and Bertha Rowe. The family moved to Port Arthur in 1943 and Marvin held various jobs including working in bush camps. Marvin met his first wife Laila Aalto at the Hoito in 1949 and they were married in 1950. Together they started to raise three children until Laila’s untimely death in 1953 while giving birth to their son Lyle while she was in an iron lung due to polio. In 1958 he met and married the former Winona (Nonie) Waller who had three children of her own. Together they had three more children, and in 2009 celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Living on Algonquin Avenue and then moving to the farm out in Finmark until the kids started high school. In 1965 they moved from the country to Van Horne St. and resided there until Marvin’s retirement from Abitibi in 1987. Between 1965 and 1972, 24 foster children had also grown up at the Van Horne St home. Pulling up stakes in 1987, they sold the house and traveled south to Texas in the winter months until 2008, while summers were spent in Fort Frances and finally in Rainy River.
Marvin and Nonie started square dancing and continued for 35 years. Square dance festivals took them from one end of the country to the other, as well as the United States. One memorable occasion had them dancing on Parliament hill. Outdoor activities were a great part of their lives; camping and fishing at many of the lakes in Northwestern Ontario in the summer and snowmobiling with the Sno-Surfers club in the winter. One memorable trip was a bus tour to the Maritimes in 2008 with Helen and Bill Kitching. Gardening was one of Marvin’s passions whether it was flowers or a vegetable garden he always had a green thumb. Marvin also loved to make wind chimes and weather vanes out of practically anything. He never let anything go to waste.
Marvin is survived by daughters Lindy Rowe (Stu Duncan) of Arden ON, Wendy Camilleri (Pat) of St Catharines ON, son-in-law Lance Granberg of Maple Ridge BC, son Lyle (Heather) of Thunder Bay ON, daughters Gail Waller of Waterloo ON, Carol Wright (Dan) of Wakaw SK, Leslie Macnair (Brian Munro) of Campbell River BC, son Doug (Carol) of Saskatoon SK and daughter Karen Newman (Terry) of Fort Frances ON. Grandchildren David Wright, Jeremy Wupori (Yvonne), Lisa Springman (Shane), Adam Hartikainen (Janine), Luke Clifford (Susan), Tania Clifford, Jon Wright (Cheri), Michael Rowe, Douglas Rowe Jr., Timothy Rowe (Heather), Alanna Newman (Robert Sokolewsky), Steven Rowe, Sarah Faragalli (Domenic), Ryan Newman (Stacey), Darryl Rowe, and Justin Newman. Great grandchildren Staisha, Chantell, Cory, Christopher, Ashley, Matthew, Dallas, Madison, Kylene, Ashton, Nikolaus, Alexzander, Dominik, Ethan, Hailey, Avan and Sibley. Also surviving are sisters Carol (Warren) Smith, Gwen (Bill) Prankard, brother Roy (Marg) Rowe, sister-in-law Helen Kitching (Billy), as well as nieces and nephews.
Marvin was predeceased by his parents Walter and Bertha Rowe, brother Vernon and sister Vera Day, first wife Laila in 1953, daughter Sandra in March 2012, second wife Nonie in May 2012 and grandson Jesse Camilleri.
Cremation has taken place and a graveside service has been planned for 10:30 am Saturday the 10th of November 2012 at Riverside Cemetery in Thunder Bay, with the interment of both Marvin and Nonie taking place. Family and friends are invited to come and share stories and say good bye to both Marvin and Nonie.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to Riverside Foundation for Healthcare/ Palliative Care 110 Victoria Ave Fort Frances On P9A 2B7, Rainy River Hospital General fund and Cancer Care Ontario in care of Rainy River Funeral Home, Box 427, Fort Frances, Ontario P9A 3M2
On-line condolences may be made in care of www.rainyriverfuneralhome.ca
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