Florentino Grison and Elizabeth Bazzett

Florentino (Tino) Oderick Grison was born on January 28, 1936, in Krkavce, a small town in Slovenia, which was a part of Italy before World War I.  The original spelling of his last name was Grizon but that was lost in translation when he immigrated to Canada at twenty years old.  He had a very large family who had an olive farm outside of  Trieste while the rest of the family operated hotels and restaurants on the ocean in town.  A tourist in Trieste told Tino that Kelowna, B.C., in the beautiful Okanagan, had a four season playground.  In 1956, he took a ship to Canada and a train ride to Kelowna. 

Florentino started working in an orchard when he arrived, pruning trees and picking fruit. After a few years of farming, he found a job at the local saw mill.  As he wanted to be his own boss he started his own company, Metro Plastering and Stucco, in 1969. Tino was a successful businessman and a great craftsman and worked for many years until he retired.  

In 1961, he met Elizabeth Ann Bazzett in Kelowna and they were married in 1962.  They had four children: Roderick, Susan, Angela, and Jennifer.  The couple ended up divorcing in 1980.  A few years later he met Scottish born, Morag Sarah Adams, and married again. They are happily still together in Kelowna. 
 
Tino stuccoed the Kelowna Bocce club house and loved to play bocce, hunt, fish, and make his own home made wine.  Although he has mild dementia, at age 87, he still lives in Kelowna and loves to sing Italian songs!!   
            
Rod Grison, son