Sophie Genia Kassian

April 17, 1934 - February 27, 2023
At age 88 Sophie concluded her life's long journey at the Fraser Hope Lodge after a brief residency of one month. She was married to Walter Kassian for 61 years, who predeceased her June 17th, 2019, and her only sibling, sister Jenny Rochfort who passed away September 24th, 2022. She leaves one son, Mike.
Sophie was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba to immigrant parents Semionas (Sam) Pavlovas of Moletai, Lithuania and Annie Pavlovas (Kupiak) of Lviv, Ukraine. At the height of the Depression and an early age the family moved out of the city to the small rural community of Argyle, Manitoba to homestead. It is from these humble origins she developed a lifelong passion for farming.
The family moved to Vancouver in 1943 and Sophie graduated from John Oliver High School 1952. She was an accomplished accordion player starting from a very young age.  Every summer she and her sister picked berries in the Fraser Valley, a job she greeted with enthusiasm.
After high school she worked for BC Tel in Kerrisdale as an operator but eventually found herself gainfully employed with Bank of Montreal as a teller for over five years, a job she was delighted with and often reminisced about.
Upon marrying Walter in 1958, the two embarked upon a nomadic construction camp lifestyle with a 38-foot Spartan trailer moving from Bralorne, Shalath and Coquitlam until finally arriving in Yale 1962 with Bedford Construction, building two highway tunnels.
In 1964, they purchased the On Lee Farm one mile south of town and took the next six decades building it into a diverse and viable hobby farm. It was here that she nurtured and fully embraced her passion for all things agricultural.
Sophie was an active grassroots environmentalist, a staunch advocate for Native indigenous rights and a strong proponent of the safety and security of children. To this end she found solace in the community of Yale that supported her in every cause or endeavor she championed.
She often commented on her absolute good fortune to have settled in the Fraser Canyon when and where she did. No other place would've afforded her the immense opportunities she was granted and the lifelong friendships that ultimately endured.
Sophie suffered a myriad of physically related ailments near the end of her life. What made these challenges all the more palatable was the endearing care she received from Dr. Richard Darby (family doctor), Dr. Mike Kerr (emergency care physician) and Dr. Danica Whalley (palliative care specialist).
A special gratitude goes out to the medical administrative staff at Hope Medical Centre that found specialists, booked appointments and followed up with the distinct care she required. The continuous and complex health service she received at both Fraser Canyon Hospital and Fraser Hope Lodge for her end-of-life care was not just phenomenal but world class exceptional. 
So in lieu of flowers, Sophie has requested that money spent on bouquets be donated to "The Auxiliary to the Fraser Canyon Hospital/Fraser Hope Lodge" which is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a variety of volunteer support services and fundraising initiatives to assist in the continuation and growth of healthcare services for Fraser Canyon Hospital & Fraser Hope Lodge.
Both my mom and dad were strong advocates and lifelong supporters of our local community health care institutions and medical service providers.
 A Celebration of Life is planned for Saturday, April 15, 2023 held at the Yale Community Centre beginning at 1:00 pm. All are welcome to share in Sophie's last chapter.