Agostino (Jack) Butticci and Lily Woods

Jack Butticci: 1897-1994. Father: Domenico, Mother: Arcangela Cotturone, from Spolito, Umbria, Italy. Lily Woods: 1901-1991. Father: William Woods, Mother: Alice Smith, from Atherton Haws, England. Marriage: July 1, 1920 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Kelowna, BC

From a story: Jack and Lilly and the last spike by Win Shilvock, Kelowna Capital News, July 4, 1984. Win writes about interesting people in history.

“Such a person is Jack Butticci who, although 86 years old, is very much alive. He came to the Okanagan Valley just after the turn of the century and was actively connected with the history of the building of the Kettle Valley Railway and the running of the sternwheelers on Okanagan Lake.

Arriving in Canada in 1912, at the age of fourteen, he first worked for the KVR at Hope and then on the Osprey Lake - Princeton, BC section.  Because he was the youngest member of the crew, the honour of driving the last spike, at Princeton in 1915, went to him. It was his sledge-hammer blows that historically joined Midway and Princeton by rail.

After the episode at Princeton, he left the KV and got a job as a fireman on the SS Sicamous. It was a good job, too - $37 a month and board.  When he reported to Captain Sandy Robertson he was asked his name. “Agostino,” said Butticci.  “That’s too hard to say,” said the captain. “What’s your father’s name?”  “Domenico.”  “That’s worse. What’s your grandfather’s name?” “Gemmarino,” came the frightened reply. “Hell,” exploded the Scotch captain, “that’s worse still.  I’m going to call you Jock.” That soon got transposed to Jack and its been that way for the past 69 years. 
 
Lily Woods, at the age of 13, arrived with her family from England in 1913.  It was love at first sight when she met Jack and they were married in 1920. This year, on July 1st they celebrated 64 years together, and 55 years in the house they built as a team in 1929. “Lilly was the boss of that operation,” says Jack.

Enlistment in the army in 1941 was, unfortunately, short-lived. Many years before, Jack was rounding a curve on a KVR track scooter and ran head on into an approaching train.  In the crash his right foot was twisted, and although repaired, remained weak.  On a first route march the ankle flared up and that was the end of an army career.

Jack, 4th from right in the picture above, was one of the several people who drove the “last spike.” 

After leaving the CPR Jack worked for Occidental Fruit and then for himself in the iron works business, retiring in 1968.”
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Contributed by Don Rampone, Co-Chair, Kelowna Canadian Italian Club Heritage Committee