Lorenzo (Lawrence) Azelio Favali was the fourth child to Palmizio and Luigia. He was born November 26, 1932 in Kelowna, BC, where he lived his entire life. He attended elementary school but we do not know for how long. He worked at Sun-Rype and Calona Winery for many years. He was also a bouncer at the Royal Anne Hotel and Angie’s Pub.
He met Helen Seminoff and they married on September 4, 1957 in Kelowna. They lived at 802 Walrod Avenue where they raised three children: Roy (1958), Christina (1960), and Barbara (1964). Helen worked at the Kelowna Packing House and also picked fruit at Mike Favali’s orchard in the Lakeview Heights area. Lawrence is best remembered for selling vegetables and Christmas trees at the fruit stand on Gordon Drive. He had a great sense of humour and played jokes on anyone in his vicinity. Helen was a hard worker and following the Favali tradition, no one left the Favali home empty handed. Helen was a wonderful baker and had a heart of gold. Helen passed away in Kelowna on July 9, 1999 and Lawrence passed away in Vernon, BC, on January 27, 2004. Contributed by Roy Favali, son
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Mike was born on January 21, 1935, to David and Rose Dapavo, in Summerland, B.C. He and his parents moved to Rutland in 1935 where they settled, with their farm and orchard, at the end of Mugford Road. While Mike was growing up, he worked on his parents’ orchard. This is where his love for growing things started and it stayed with him for the rest of his life. Mike attended school in Rutland, graduating at Rutland Secondary School. Barb was born on January 24, 1935, to Arthur and Ethel Arnold, in Penticton BC. She moved with her family to Winfield in 1946. Barb attended primary school in Winfield and bussed to Rutland to attend high school at RSS. This is where Mike and Barb met. Mike and Barb were both fond of music and started a dance band with their friends. Mike played clarinet, saxophone and accordion, Barb played the piano, and the community got to dance the night away. Mike also played in the Kelowna Marching Band. Barb went off to Victoria to get her teaching certificate and Mike stayed behind, working at logging and at his father’s orchard. When Barb returned, she taught her first year in Salmon Arm. Throughout this time, Mike and Barb dated. They got married on Aug 22, 1956 and moved into a little house on Rutland Road. In 1958, Mike and Barb bought and moved to an orchard property next to Mike’s father’s orchard. Barb continued her teaching at Rutland Elementary. In 1959, Julie, their daughter was born and in 1961, Steven, their son was born. Throughout their lives they gave back to the community through volunteering with many organizations. Mike was a member of BC Fruit Growers Association, a director with Kelowna Growers Supply, a grower representative at Sun-Rype, a volunteer firefighter and assistant Chief for the Rutland Fire Hall, and leader of Youth Forest Rangers. Both Mike and Barb helped in many areas, making the Rutland May Days a success. They organized and ran gates, made floats for the parades and taught youth Maypole Dancing. Barb, for many years, played the piano at Rutland United Church and after school, she organized choirs, dancing and writing clinics. She was fashionable, lively and fun. In later years, she was a treasurer and participant at the Sr. Centre for Fitness and Line Dance classes. Barb continued teaching up until retirement. She taught at Rutland and East Kelowna schools. Hundreds of Kelowna residences have been taught or touched by her. Mike being a full time orchardist, was also a tinkerer and fixer of all things mechanical or not. With some tinkering and lots of head scratching, he could fix just about anything. Mike was the go-to person for anyone needing to borrow equipment, or for advice on growing almost anything. Despite aging Mike and Barb love to help people and stay active. They continue to head off on adventures, from Kamloops to Osoyoos at a drop of a hat. They still grow an enormous garden of both flowers and vegetables. They have touched so many lives and continue to do so daily. Mike and Barb currently still live in the house on the hill, on the property they purchased so long ago. They have two children, four grandchildren and four great grandchildren, whom they cherish deeply. Contributed by Julie Dapavo Christensen, daughter Armand Secondo Constantini was born in 1926, one year after his older brother, Armando (I), passed away. He grew up on his parents, Louis and Lucia’s, farm in Rutland. Armand left school after grade eight, taking on various jobs, including logging, before leaving for Vancouver, BC. Once in Vancouver, he did some construction and drove a truck. After the 1948 floods, Armand worked in salvaging and reconstruction. Several years later, he bought his own truck and started ‘AC Moving and Storage.’ Armand also travelled much of BC, selling novelty items to stores. Finding better job opportunities in the Seattle, Washington area, Armand moved there in the 1950s.
Lillian Florence Mitchell was born in Winnipeg, to parents Frederick Mitchell and Edith Dallow. Daughter, Marlene, was born in 1945 to Lillian and husband, Peter Crichton. In 1946, Peter left Lillian and Marlene. Lillian was a dental hygienist when she had met Armand. Now, on their own, Lillian and Marlene followed Armand to Seattle. Lillian and Armand were married in 1962. In Seattle, Armand continued his trucking career, working for the Union Pacific Railroad. After a few years, he began operating the crane that loaded containerized rail units. Later, he began the development of the Batnuni Lake Resort, a hunting and fishing lodge, west of Quesnel, BC. In the early seventies, he took a medical retirement from the railroad and began to build cabins at the resort. He obtained a hunting and guiding license in the nearby Chine Falls area. Chine Falls is part of the Kluskoil Lake Provincial Park, which contains part of the Alexander MacKenzie Heritage Trail. At Batnuni, Armand was a host, fisherman, horse rider, game guide and cook. He also milled his own lumber from trees on the property. Due to health concerns, Armand sold the Batnuni Resort, after twenty years of operation, and moved to Quesnel, BC. This allowed Lillian and Armand to be closer to hospital care. They were only in Quesnel for a couple of years, before Lillian passed away on December 26, 1996, at the age of 83. Beginning to feel the effects of the cold, Armand bought a home in Yuma, Arizona. Until recently, Armand spent the winters in Yuma and the summers at his West Kelowna home. Daughter, Marlene, remained in the Washington State area. She became very involved with genealogy, In 1964, Marlene married David Joe Rhéaume. David worked for the Washington State Patrol, aviation department. Marlene and David have three children: Robert David (Jennifer), Lilli Marlene (Kevin) and Danielle Rachel. Robert is a tool company sales representative, Lilli is a wine distributor and Danielle is writer and blogger. Armand has always had a close connection to nature and food. He would visit local farms and fisheries, buying fresh food that he would cook up into great Italian dishes. He kept up his father, Louis’s, tradition of canning and preserving food for his winter consumption. His failing vision did not deter him from continuing to travel the province. Brother, Albert Constantini, would drive Armand to all parts of British Columbia so that Armand could enjoy nature’s offerings. Armand passed away on February 27, 2022. D. E. Rampone, Kelowna Canadian Italian Club On April 14, 1929, Velma Patricia Casorso was born, in Kelowna, BC, to Pete and Alice Casorso. She has spent the majority of her life in the family home on Casorso Road. Velma attended Mission Creek School for seven years before quitting to stay home and help look after the younger children and feed the hired hands. While home her Aunt Peg helped her learn cooking, baking and preserving, skills which would be an essential part of her success in her later life.
Engelbert (Bert) Harold Sperling was born on January 21, 1928, in Sedley, Saskatchewan to Pete and Agatha Sperling. During the 1930s depression years the Sperling family left everything behind and found acreage in McKinley Landing, BC. Bert attended Central Elementary and then Kelowna High Schools. He was a sports enthusiast, spending much time with hockey, baseball, rowing and the local Boy Scouts troop. Bert spent one year with the airforce in Regina, Saskatchewan. He returned home when his mother passed away. During the 1940s, Bert spent much time fishing in Mission Creek. One day, he stopped by the Casorso house to clean his fish where he met the young Velma. They were married on April 29, 1948. Son, Doug, was born in 1950 and daughter, Susan, in 1952. After working in the sawmill, operated by his father in law, Pete, Bert and family moved to Port Alberni, BC, where he went logging and then started his own trucking company, MacSperl, with his brother-in-law Neil MacDonald. Daughter, Karen, was born in 1956. In 1959, the family moved back to Kelowna. Bert continued with his trucking company before taking over the full time operation of the farm with Velma’s brother, Ken Casorso. Children, Marie (1960), Ann (1962), and Joan (1964) were all born in Kelowna. Velma’s father, Pete, grew a large garden and Velma spent many hours canning and preserving. She won many awards for her work at the “Armstrong Fair”. She was also a hospital volunteer and Catholic Women’s League member. For many years she boarded local and International students. Working with the Summerland Experimental farm, Bert was one of the first to grow a commercial quantity of Sovereign Coronation grapes. Bert was also president of the Grape Growers Association, Chair of the Catholic School Board and was also caretaker of the Immaculate Conception Cemetery. In 1985, Velma and daughter, Karen, started Pioneer Market. This market fulfilled Pete’s dream that “someday we are going to have a place where we can sell what we make and grow, other than from the back door.” It started with the selling of produce and grew to preserves and baking. Pioneer market expanded with a commercial kitchen which made it possible to produce the first wine jellies in the Okanagan. Locals and tourists alike enjoyed stopping by and having a home cooked lunch outside, before making their way through the museum of Casorso artifacts. A local favourite were “Spudnuts”, available on Saturday’s only. Velma prepared the dough, Bert did the frying and the girls did the icing. Spudnuts were a specialty of Bert’s Aunt Rose Glover, from Saskatchewan. On every visit to Kelowna, she would make a large batch of them for the family and soon became part of the Pioneer market. After 32 years, Velma retired and the business was closed. The building now houses the Sperling Wineshop, started by daughter Ann. Bert passed away in 2012 and Velma has recently become a resident of the Vineyards Residence. Along with their six children, they have nineteen grandchildren and thirty-two great grand children. D. E. Rampone, Kelowna Canadian Italian Club Mary Casorso was born at the Casorso Pioneer Ranch (Kelowna, BC) on February 20, 1909 to Louis and Catarina (Dapavo) Casorso. She was the eldest of three children (The other two being John and August). Catarina Dapavo’s mother was Enrichetta (Rampone) Dapavo.
At the age of twelve, Mary attended St. Anne’s Academy in Victoria, BC. When she was sixteen, her father sent for her to come home to help out with the farm. She learned to cook for the ranch-hands, thus ending her childhood, but beginning her love for cooking. She especially loved creating wonderful Italian dinners and homemade pies. When she wasn’t cooking she was either in the garden or fishing in Mission Creek. In 1928, Gaspar Risso introduced Mary to Riccardo Bertoia while they were attending a play at the Old Mission School. Riccardo (Dick) came to Canada from San Lorenzo, Italy at the age of 17. He worked in a variety of jobs in B.C. and eventually arrived in Kelowna in 1928, where he worked at the packing house. Mary and Dick were married in Kelowna on April 26, 1934. They decided to move to the Kootenays, where they lived in Nelson, Trail and finally Rossland, BC. During this time, they raised four daughters and two sons. The Bertoia family spent their summers at the Casorso Ranch, which they called their “summer home.” During these visits, they had a lot of fun getting to know their cousins. Mary and Dick built their retirement home on Benvoulin Road in Kelowna, on five acres of orchard land, in the 1970’s. Many memories of joy and love were made in their home with a constant flow of friends and family. Mary passed away in July 1984. Dick passed away in March 1996. Contributed by The Bertoia’s August (Augie) Robert Casorso was born, at home, November 10, 1917, the fourth child of Catarina and Louis Casorso. At that time, the family lived in a house on the Rampone property on Benvoulin Road, in Kelowna, BC. Soon after, the family moved back to the main Casorso Ranch, and this is where August and his older siblings, Mary(1909) and John(1911), grew up. His older sister, Elizabeth (1913) died at age two(1915).
August, known fondly as Gus or Augie, attended Mission Creek Elementary School and later, Kelowna Secondary School. He completed Grade 13 and then attended Herbert Business College in Kelowna. August specialized in accounting and became a bookkeeper and accountant for the Casorso Brothers' business, originally known as the Sanitary Market, later named the Gordon Meat Market. In 1940, at the age of 23, at the beginning of WW II, August enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force. His training, as a navigator, took place in Vernon, BC and Regina, Saskatchewan. August was stationed mainly in England, but also served in North Africa. After August's tours of duty, he became a navigation instructor and officer at Honeybourne, near Evesham, England. This is where he met Muriel Haines. Muriel Florence Haines, the third child of Albert and Florence Haines, was born in Penarth, Wales on December 3, 1922. Her elder siblings were Charles and Kathleen. Albert, her father, was in charge of a nursery in Penarth and when Muriel was nine years old, he moved the family to Badsey, Evesham, England. After the move, he became a market gardener. Muriel was an avid learner and completed her matriculation (equivalent to Grade 13), at age 16. Her dream was to attend Art school but due to the war and lack of funds, she trained for the career of telephone operator. This proved to be valuable for communication in the war effort as the Evesham Exchange was one of the main telephone exchange bases for the British, throughout WW II. Muriel had a beautiful singing voice, and along with her siblings, Charles and Kathleen, often entertained the troops at a canteen, in Badsey. As well, the main entertainment during the war years were local dances, and Muriel loved, and often competed in ballroom dancing. At one of these dances she met August Casorso. August and Muriel were married at St. Mary's Catholic Church, Evesham, Worcestershire, England, on November 23, 1944. Soon after, August was sent back to Canada, on leave, leaving his young bride behind. The war in Europe ended on May 7, 1945, before Augie could return. Muriel, along with other war brides and their children, traveled by escorted ship and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June of 1945. She traveled west by train and was met in Calgary, Alberta, by August, where they continued on to Kelowna. August and Muriel settled in Kelowna at the Casorso Ranch, where they resided with August's father, Louis, in the 1907 house. That is where August grew up. Here they raised their family of seven children- Margaret, Bernadette, Christine, Frances, Joan, John and Robert. August decided to help his father run the family farm. Over the years they raised pigs, grew onions, vegetables, fruits of all kinds and wine and table grapes. August was very involved with the vegetable, fruit and wine boards and along with Muriel, were lifelong, faithful supporters of their Catholic Parish and Catholic School communities. Muriel was famous for her singing voice, cooking, baking, storytelling and remarkable memory. The Casorso farm was always a place of hospitality, where relatives, friends and strangers were welcomed. August died April 22, 2000 in Kelowna. Muriel died September 16, 2013 in Kelowna. They are buried in the Immaculate Conception Catholic Cemetery on Casorso Road Kelowna, BC. Contributed by Christine Casorso Schmidt, daughter Tom lived and breathed the history of Kelowna, BC. He remembered every detail of the city development during his years. Driving around many of the streets in Kelowna with Tom was like listening to an historical account of the families and buildings that were present, fifty years ago.
Thomas Archangelo Capozzi was born in Kelowna, on October 10, 1928. He was the youngest son of Pasquale and Maria Capozzi. Even though life growing up in Kelowna was not all play, Tom certainly made it look that way. His parents engendered a strong work ethic in him. There was no such luxury as “free time,” so he became an expert at making play out of his school/work/church day. Regarding school somewhat of a respite, Tom thoroughly enjoyed his elementary and junior high days in Kelowna. His classmates report he was not the quietest of students, but he was enthusiastic and a very quick study. Off to Vancouver City College for his senior high school years, Tom was subsequently recruited to Portland University and UCLA on a football scholarship to study business. The Okanagan enchanted Tom and he returned to Kelowna to discover the real world of business. He followed his father’s footsteps as one of the builders of Kelowna through his position as executive Vice President of Capozzi Enterprises, Executive Vice President of Calona Wines, and Director of Calona Distillers Ltd. Tom was an original director of the BC Wine Council who established the VQA quality wines. Tom met and married Babs (Josephine) in the 1960’s. They had four children: Cameron, Cascia, Caron and Colin. During the children’s growing up years, Tom was often travelling, but he enjoyed his weekends at home with family and friends. When I met Tom in the early 1980’s, he was experiencing challenging business times. Tom’s children were grown, and he and Babs had previously decided that they made better friends than marriage partners. Tom and I were married several years later and he started a new adventure as an “at home” father of two girls, Lauren and Krista. Although Tom’s cancer diagnosis in 1998 interrupted the teen years of his two daughters, he was determined to do everything he could to spend as much time as possible with them. Lauren spoke at Tom’s funeral “…we spent much of our time trying to keep up with dad - not only on the ski hill, or on the tennis court, but in fullness of his spirit, the quickness of his wit, and how he made conversation an art.” A deep seated belief that we must all give back to our community the gifts our community gives us, led Tom to be an original founder of the Central Okanagan Foundation. He truly cherished his home town, the City of Kelowna. Adapted from the 68th Report of the OHS, 2004, written by his wife, Barbara Gail Plecash. Peo Barrera was born in 1930 on the Barrera family farm, located between Casorso Road and Lakeshore Road in Kelowna, BC. He attended Mission Creek School on the corner of K.L.O. and Benvoulin Roads. Life at that time was routine - chores in the morning milking cows, school during the days, then, more chores after school. He hung out with his older brother, Camillo, and his best friend, John Risso, playing marbles and other games. At age sixteen, he joined the Air Cadets, but one ride in an airplane was enough for Peo to know that the Air Cadets was not for him. After attending Kelowna Senior Secondary, he spent his days working on the farm.
Peo met his wife, Mary, quite by accident. In 1960, Mary’s mother, Nellie Kolody, saw an ad for a pen pal in the Free Press Weekly – Prairie Report, a newspaper that served the western provinces. Nellie dared her daughter to answer the ad and that she did. Peo and Mary began to exchange letters about farm life, for many months. When Mary’s father found out he was none too pleased but said to his daughter, “If you like this man, we should go and meet him.” So, the Kolodys took the train to Kelowna in the summer of 1960. Apparently, Peo passed the “good enough for his daughter” test and the letters resumed back and forth. Peo traveled to Bremen, Saskatchewan, to see Mary and her family, in November 1960. They got engaged on that trip. Peo and Mary were married in Cudworth, Saskatchewan, on February 11, 1961. There had been a blizzard the week leading up to the wedding, but the weather cleared up and was sunny for the ceremony. Peo & Mary moved into their house on Lakeshore Road close by the Barrera farm. Their son, John, was born in December 1961. Daughter, Gina, was born in December 1962 with their youngest child, Cindy, following in April 1964. Peo worked at Byland’s Nurseries and then at Ellison Lake Sawmill. After that, he was hired by Canada Post as a letter carrier. After the farm was sold in 1968, Peo & Mary moved their family to the Belgo area of Rutland, then, to their house on Pinetree Road. In 1974, they built their house in Okanagan Mission and settled there for quite a few years. In 1997, they made the decision to leave Kelowna and move to Calgary, Alberta, to be closer to all their children. Peo & Mary both had a life-long love of gardening and growing things. They moved to their condo in the 2000s, and had to give up their flower and vegetable gardens. Seeing a void in their lives, their daughter, Cindy, graciously offered them her back yard to putter in, and they affectionately became known as “The Yard Crew”. Peo Barrera passed away on June 19, 2022. Mary still lives in their condo, where she enjoys many visits with her children and grandchildren. She also talks, frequently, with her great grandchildren by phone (no computer for her!). Contributed by Cindy Barrera Parmelee, daughter Camillo Barrera was born in Rutland, BC, on November 21, 1924. As a toddler, the family moved to their farm home on Lakeshore Road in Kelowna, BC. Camillo attended school at Mission Creek Elementary and then left school to help on the family farm.
Eugenia Buscaino was born in Chefalu, a Sicilian beach town in Italy. In 1954, she along with her mother and sister, immigrated to Vancouver, BC, to meet up with her father. Shortly after, the Buscaino family moved to Rutland. Eugenia (or Nina as she was more commonly known) ordered tomatoes from an Italian family that her neighbour had recommended. Nina and Camillo met when he delivered the tomatoes to her home. The two were married on May 7, 1960 at Immaculate Conception church in Kelowna. Nina and Camillo lived on what was then, Boyce Road, in Kelowna (currently Swordy Road). When the family farm was sold, Camillo obtained a job as a labourer with the City of Kelowna. He kept a small piece of land on Bechard Road, that was originally part of the farm. Here, they built their home, where they raised their four children. When Camillo was not working, he took great pride and joy in his vegetable garden and yard. Neighbours were always happy to be the recipient of his fruits and vegetables. However, they were not thrilled with his method of scaring the birds out of the cherry trees with the radio, on high volume, at five in the morning. In 1972, Camillo was diagnosed with cancer and battled the disease until he passed away on March 8, 1986. At this time, Camillo and Nina had one grandchild. They would go on to have four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Nina left Kelowna in 2015 and lived in North Vancouver, with Vittorio De Benedetto, until his passing. Presently, she resides in Port Moody near daughter, Josie. Their oldest child, Mary Barrera lived in Kelowna with her husband, Cliff Leadly, until her passing in January, 2023. Josie (second child) and her husband, Kevin Hagglund, have made their home in Port Moody, BC. They take many trips to Edmonton, Alberta, to visit their oldest child, Amanda Nelund and their granddaughter, Abigail. Their son, Jarrett Hagglund, currently resides with his husband, Zachary Sapers, in Vancouver, BC. Louise (third child), and her husband, Patrick Guterres, live in Abbotsford, BC, where they are lucky to be near their daughter, Meagan Graham, her husband Daniel, and their two daughters, Aurora and Aria. Their son, Justin McKinlay, and spouse, Leighanne Walker, also live in Abbotsford. Camillo and Nina’s son, Luigi Barrera, lives in Calgary with his wife Sue. Contributed by Josie Barrera Hagglund, daughter Dominico (Nick) Alimonti was born to Joseph and Rosa Alimonti on October 7, 1928, in Kelowna, BC. His first years were spent at a farm in Mission Creek, across the road from the Father Pandosy Mission, and attending Mission Creek School. In 1944, his parents purchased a larger farm on Old Vernon Road, where he helped his father.
Sheila Barbara Paisley’s mom, Barbara McCrindle Paisley, was also a pioneer in the Kelowna area, immigrating from Scotland in May 1910, with her first husband, William Henry Paisley. William passed away in Kelowna in 1925. Barbara lived in Kelowna until late 1927, when she moved to Princeton, married James Murdoch and ran a restaurant. Sheila was born to James Murdoch and Barbara Paisley on August 27, 1928 in Princeton, BC. In early September 1928, Barbara moved back to Kelowna with her three daughters, Jean, Pat and Sheila. In Kelowna, she ran the Teahouse in City Park for many years. Barbara passed away on June 28, 1964. Sheila and Nick married in Vancouver, BC, on November 4, 1952. Upon returning to Kelowna, they lived on the farm with his parents. In 1956, they moved into Kelowna to a house on Coronation Avenue. In 1959, they moved to St. Paul Street. and in 1969, to their last house on Kelglen Crescent. Sheila and Nick had four children: Keith (1955), Nancy (1958), Judie (1960) and Cathy (1964). Sadly, Judie passed away in 2017, while living in Ottawa, Ontario. Nick worked for the BC Department of Highways, driving a dump truck, a job he kept until his retirement, thirty-five years later. Sheila worked part time during their marriage – the Laurel packing house, Super Valu (as a cashier) and the Bay. Nick and Sheila were avid campers and spent many summers with their children in different parts of BC. In later life, they liked to travel on bus tours to Reno, Nevada, to try their hand at gambling. One of Nick’s last trips was to travel to Italy, with Judie, to visit family, some of whom he had never met before. In 2012, Nick hosted a family reunion to celebrate one hundred years in the Kelowna area – a milestone of which he was very proud. About forty members of the extended Alimonti family were able to attend a dinner and enjoy a display of the family history. Sheila passed away in July 1984 and Nick continued to live in the house on Kelglen Crescent for a number of years. He then moved into retirement communities until his death in November, 2019. Contributed by Nancy and Cathy Alimonti, daughters |