Obituary – Chuck Froese

Charles (Chuck) Henry Froese, 83, passed away on December 8th, 2024 in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Son of Annie Froese (Watkins) and Ernest Froese, he was born July 8, 1941 in Premier, B.C. He spent most of his childhood living in Prince George and Decker Lake. He was a rambunctious child and didn’t see the importance of school in his early years but his father valued post secondary education. Because of this, Chuck spent two years at Olds School of Agriculture, where he met some lifelong friends.
After Olds, Chuck lived with his Uncle Charlie in Brisco, B.C.. This is where he met the love of his life, Mary Henriksen, who taught at the one-room school. He rode up to the school on a horse and helped her start a bonfire for her class and they were married less than a year later. After they got married, they moved to Vancouver where Chuck finished his high school and a degree in Education at the University of British Columbia while Mary taught elementary school. Their daughter, Christine (Chris), was born in Vancouver, on the day of one of Chuck’s final exams. The family moved to Fort St John shortly after Chris was born with their lifelong friends, Brian and Joan Low.
Chuck and Mary spent 27 happy years in Fort St John. Their daughter, Teresa, was born there and they made many friends who became like family. Chuck started his teaching career by teaching elementary classes but eventually ended up as an elementary school principal. He also started the first regionalized correspondence school in B.C. It was such a success that he was asked to work for the Ministry of Education in Victoria to help regionalize the rest of the province. After two years in Victoria, Chuck and Mary returned to Fort St John where Chuck finished off his career in education as the principal of the Northern B.C. Regional Correspondence School.
Chuck retired in 1996. Chuck and Mary built a house in Parksville, where they spent their winters. They spent their summers at their beloved cabin on Francois Lake, B.C., where they fished, gardened, and enjoyed many ‘Happy Hours’ with their great friends and neighbours.
Mary passed away in 2021 after a long illness. In 2022, Chuck reconnected with a girlfriend from Olds, Edith Rosa. Over the past two years, they found joy in each other’s company and cherished the time they spent together.
Chuck is survived by his daughters, Chris La Croix (Sean) and Teresa Kuziak (Greg) and four grandchildren, Henry, Elizabeth, Michael, and Cameron. He is also survived by two sisters, Lavinia Ouelett and Sheila Olsen.
We have lost our beloved dad, grandpa, partner, brother, uncle, and dear friend. Chuck touched many lives, which was apparent by all the friends and family who visited him at the Vancouver General Hospital as well as those who sent emails and text messages with well-wishes and memories of the time they spent with him.
A special thank you to the amazing staff at the Vancouver General Hospital, especially those in the ICU unit and the spinal step-down unit. Your care and compassion were truly amazing during such a difficult time.