LUIGI BANDUCCI AND ILEANA GALVANI

Ileana and Luigi Banducci

Luigi led a full and distinguished life; one of adventure, hard work, and devotion to family, friends and faith.  He was born on Oct 23, 1927 in Tassignano, just outside Lucca in Tuscany, Italy.  He was the third of six children. 

Following WWII, Luigi was part of the first wave of Italians who immigrated to Canada in search of a better life.  He arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in July 1950, aboard the SS Conte Biancamano.  Luigi worked his way across Canada and was then hired as part of the construction crew that headed north to build the Alcan aluminum smelter in Kitimat, BC.  

Once the smelter was complete, Luigi’s entrepreneurial spirit took hold, and he was presented with an opportunity to buy a small hotel in New Hazelton, about 60 km northwest of Smithers, BC. Luigi jumped at the opportunity, and in so doing, became the then youngest hotelier in BC.  

At around the same time, Luigi met Ileana at a showing of the movie, Around the World in 80 Days, at the Stanley Theatre on Granville St. in Vancouver, BC.  Ileana had immigrated to Canada with her parents and younger brother, Pierre, in 1954. Luigi & Ileana were married in Vancouver on May 7th, 1960. They lived in New Hazelton, BC, for two years.

From New Hazelton, Luigi & Ileana moved to Prince George, BC, for 10 years, before settling in Kelowna, BC, in 1972.  Luigi would go on to be involved with many business adventures in the community, including the opening of the first neighbourhood pub in the Okanagan, appropriately named Luigi’s.
Luigi & Ileana have four children (Ivana, Fabio, Sandro, Marina) and 9 grandchildren.

They were part of St. Pius X parish, the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club, the Bocce Club, various soccer organizations, as well as the business and civic communities.
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Ileana passed away in June 2006 and Luigi in December 2017.  They are interred at the Kelowna cemetery. 

Contributed by Fabio Banducci, son.