Parcourez la nécrologie de Rodney Rod Brahm Rainey May 23 1936

November 16 2024 résidant dans la province Colombie britanique pour le détail des funérailles.

Rodney «Rod» Brahm Rainey Obituary
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Rodney “Rod” Brahm Rainey, a long-time resident of Lone Prairie, British Columbia, on Saturday, November 16, 2024 at the age of 88 years.
Rod was born on May 23, 1936, at Fort Lewis, Washington where his father was stationed in the US Army. He spent his early years in California before moving back to Washington state with his mother and siblings when his father was transferred overseas during the war. They lived on a small farm near Bellingham and from there Rod used to pedal his bike across the Canadian border to his grandparents’ farm at Popkum. Rod always spoke reverently of his boyhood in Whatcom County which offered two of the greatest things in life: the opportunity to play football (he was a proud Mt. Baker Mountaineer) and plenty of hard physical labour. On evenings, weekends and summer breaks he kept busy splitting cedar shakes and helping neighbouring farmers with silaging and haying.
When his father retired from the army the family started their own beef and dairy operation but had to give this up in 1962 when Rod was drafted for the mandatory two-year period of military service. Disruptive as the draft was, he appreciated the opportunity to travel across the country by train for basic training and had many stories to tell of his experiences in Alaska, where he was stationed as a fuel truck driver.
After his service he took up farming again and the job he’d previously had at Northern State Mental Hospital. By this time tranquilizers were in use, but in his early days at the hospital, he was often called upon for his size and strength when a patient needed to be restrained. Size was no help the time a patient managed to get a hold of a gun and shoot at him but fortunately he got away unscathed. It was during this second stint at the hospital that a pretty, young nursing student caught his eye. While it may have been love at first sight for him, it must have taken some convincing before she’d go on that first date, for she had initially mistaken him for one of the patients.
Rod married Martha (Marti) Rosmond in her hometown of Forks, Washington in August 1966. They lived near Maple Falls until 1968 when they took the big step of buying a ranch across the border and a 13-hour drive north in Lone Prairie, British Columbia. There were challenging years, particularly in the beginning when Rod worked 8-hour shifts piling 2 X 10s at the Canfor Mill in Chetwynd before returning to the ranch to do chores and build infrastructure, which until 1975, had to be done without the aid of electricity.
As Marti also went to work in Chetwynd, Rod took on an active role in raising their two children, Steven Brahm, born in 1969, and Christine Louise, born in 1972. Although the kids learned early to recite the motto “When it’s smokin’ it’s cookin’ when it’s black it’s done”, it didn’t make the food any more appetizing than his other maxim: the blacker the pancake, the better hockey player you’d be.
Rod was also actively involved in the Lone Prairie community. He was a welcome addition on a branding crew and at the local gymkhanas, he was the sought-after opponent in the bareback wrestling competitions and always brought an appreciative appetite to the potluck meals that followed. He loved to play pranks on longtime friend and neighbour, Lorne Herrick, and solve the world’s problems over a cup of coffee with Tex Verkerk. He missed these two deeply and felt a loss each time a ranching friend or neighbour passed away.
Rod was an avid reader and had such a great curiosity about so many things. He loved to meet and host newcomers or visitors at the ranch and in 1988 he and Marti opened their home to a Norwegian exchange student; Nils Petter Lian has been a beloved member of the family ever since. While keeping up with the demands of the ranch left little free time, Rod served as a Director on the South Peace Stockman’s Association for a number of years. When the kids began to play high school sports, he was not only their greatest fan, but also gave his time to coach a boys basketball team.
In the year 2000, Rod and Marti had the joy of handing over the successful ranching operation they had built to their son Steve and his wife, Sarah. They kept their home on the ranch but were finally free to travel. Over the years they visited Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Belize, Hawaii, Alaska and many parts of Canada. Rod loved Cuba the best. They went there many times, and he never got enough of the opera, ballet, baseball games and beaches.
Something else he did in retirement was to help with the calving every spring for nearly 15 years on the mixed farm where daughter and son-in-law, Chris and Nico van der Giessen live. Rod set a strict schedule of pasture checks for himself, and as much as he loved working with the cows, he loved the time spent with grandkids even more. As they grew up he rarely missed their basketball and volleyball tournaments, and afterwards was always ready with tips on how to improve their game. How great it was that just as Chris’s kids were aging out of such activities, Steve’s kids were just getting started. He cared so much about and was so proud of all of them: Anna, Nicolaas, Jill and Laurel van der Giessen; and Jake, Brooke, Scarlett and Savannah Rainey.
He had great love and admiration for Marti, his wife of 58 years; and cared deeply for his sister Judy van Brocklin, brother Jeff Rainey, sisters-in-law Vicki Rainey, Polly Rosmond, Julie Rosmond, brother-in-law Phil Smith, and each of his nieces, nephews and their children.
Rod was predeceased by his parents, Phillip Brahm Rainey and Edith Ellen (Bond) Rainey; brothers Phillip John William Rainey and Gary Allen Rainey; sister Phyllis Ellen Irwin; nephew Erin van Brocklin.
Rod was able to spend his final days in the home that he built on the ranch that he loved. Thank goodness his dreams were not crushed by the grade schoolteacher who, after asking him what he wanted to be when he grew up, banished him to the hallway for answering that he wanted to be a cowboy.
A Celebration of Life for Rod will be held on Saturday, December 14, 2024, at 2:00pm from the Chetwynd Fellowship Baptist Church. Carmen Little will officiate. Interment will be at a later date.
For friends so wishing, donations may be made in memory of Rod to the Chetwynd and District Hospital Foundation, Box 121, Chetwynd, BC, V0C 1J0.
Very Respectfully, Reynars Funeral Home and Crematorium
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May 23 1936

November 16 2024

Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Rodney Rod Brahm Rainey May 23 1936

November 16 2024..

reynars funeral home & crematorium

Décès pour la Ville: Dawson, Province: Colombie britanique

avis deces Rodney Rod Brahm Rainey May 23 1936

November 16 2024

necrologie Rodney Rod Brahm Rainey May 23 1936

November 16 2024

Nous offrons nos plus sincères condoléances à la famille et aux amis de Rodney Rod Brahm Rainey May 23 1936

November 16 2024 et espérons que leur mémoire pourra être une source de réconfort pendant cette période difficile. Vos pensées et vos mots aimables sont grandement appréciés.