Trail Times Tuesday, November 19, 2013
www.trailtimes.ca A5
PEOPLE JACK MUNRO
OBITUARIES FERRO (NEE KELLY), JOSEPHINE — passed away peacefully at Columbia View Lodge, on November 14, 2013 after a long journey with Alzheimer’s Disease. Jo was born in Trail on April 5, 1921 the youngest of five children. She told great stories about growing up in Trail; including swimming in the Columbia River, hiking the road to Rossland and wonderful train rides to Nelson. A hairdresser by trade, Jo was a pioneer for women in business, owning her own hair salon on Bay Avenue. In 1945 Jo married the love of her life, Mono, and together they raised 3 children and neighbourhood of swimmers. Mom’s gracious hospitality was her specialty and friends and family were at the top of her list. An opportunity was never missed when ravioli could be served, hamburgers flipped and cacchiatori simmered on the BBQ. The backyard was her mecca. Mom was an avid golfer and even when Alzheimer’s had taken hold, special friends could still get her out on the fairways – she never lost that talent. Mom and Dad enjoyed a great life together. As longterm snowbirds, they spent 25 years wintering in Palm Springs, their ‘Fantasy Land’ as they called it, enjoying each other, their friends and the magic of retirement. Jo is survived by her son Paul (Allana) Ferro, daughters Cathy (Ian) McAlpine and Sue (Garry) Bock all of Trail; grandchildren Amy (Brett) Johnson, Keri (Cam) Ferguson; Richard (Donna) McAlpine, Diane (Sean) Jeffers; Jarrod (Tina) Graf, Joel Graf (Candice) and Tim Bock (Christina). Noni would be thrilled with all her great-grandchildren: Olivia, Jianna and Bethany; Jordyn and Jaxon; Grace and Ariana; Gocean; Dayton and Delylah; Brooke and Paisley, and numerous nieces and nephews. Jo was predeceased by her husband Mariano (Mono) Ferro, her siblings Bridie Woytella, Art Kelly, Lil Hughes, Hannah Rinaldi and
her granddaughter Katie Bock. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, November 22, 2013 at 11:00 am at Holy Trinity Parish with Father Jim McHugh, Celebrant. Bill Clark and Jordan Wren of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ has been entrusted with arrangements. Memorial donations can be made in memory of Jo to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Health Foundation with funds directed to Columbia View Lodge, 1200 Hospital Bench Road, Trail, BC, V1R 4M1 or online at www. kbrhhealthfoundation.ca You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence at the family’s online register www.myalternatives. ca GECHO, VELMA — passed way peacefully on November 12, 2013. Velma was born in Kimberly and was one of five children of Birtha and Clyde Michaely. Velma married John and together, they had four children, two boys and two girls. Velma’s family was everything to her. Velma’s interests included reading, cooking, crocheting, knitting and gardening. Velma is predeceased by her husband and two sons. Velma is survived by her two daughters, Donna (Brian) Guglielmin, and Carol Gecho,Velma’s granddaughter Amber Barbier (Ryan Benedict) and two twin greatgrandsons, Logan and Carter Benedict. Mom you will be greatly missed. Thank you to the doctors, nurses, and care team at Poplar Ridge, and to Home Support and Trail Hospice. Your support was greatly appreciated. Cremation has taken place. There will not be a funeral service. Please join Velma’s family for a Celebration of Life Service, at the Rossland Legion on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at 1 pm. *** APA (NEE PISCITELLI), ELVIRA FILOMENA — passed away peacefully at
Langley Memorial Hospital on November 12, 2013 at the age of 92. She was born in Aprigliano, Cosenza Italia on June 9, 1921. Predeceased by her parents Francesco & Innocenza Piscitelli, b r o t h ers Mike and Tony Piscitelli, and sister Helen (Luigi) Porco and brotherin-law Francesco Ripoli, s i s t e r- i n laws Ernesta Apa & Concetta Gualtieri in Italia. Left to mourn are her son Frank, wife Gail and grandchildren Jonathan, Stephen and Amanda Apa, her sister Ernestina Ripoli, sister-in-law Iolanda Piscitelli, sister-in-law Concettina Piscitelli. Nephews and nieces; Frank Ripoli, Franco (Renni) Piscitelli, Maria (George) Peck, Joanne (Doug) Oliver, Diana (Murray) Duclos, Frank Anthony Piscitelli and many great nieces and nephews as well as devout friends. Elivira lived in Aprigliano until 1949, when she moved with her family to Trail, BC to be reunited with their father. In 1951 Elivra married her childhood sweetheart Alfonso Apa. She was a wonderful mother and was devoted to her family and friends. Elvira was an excellent cook and seamstress. She lived independently until the age of 90 when she went to live with her family in Langley. She had a strong Christian faith that she relied on throughout her many years. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Anthony’s Parish on Monday, November 25, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. Father Jim McHugh to officiate. Interment to follow at Mountain View Cemetery. Bill Clark of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ has been entrusted with the arrangements. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made in her honour to the Alzheimer’s Society of BC or the BC Lung Association. You are invited to leave a personal message of condolence by visiting the family’s online register at www.myalternatives.ca. “Gone but not forgotten”
Labour leader got his start in Nelson
BY GREG NESTEROFF Nelson Star
B.C. labour leader Jack Munro, who died Friday at 82, started in the trade union movement in Nelson. While a welder and millwright at Kootenay Forest Products in the 1960s he joined the International Woodworkers of America and led interior members in a 224day strike. Later, as IWA president for almost 20 years, he became the craggy face of labour in the province. Despite — or perhaps because of — his reputation as a rabblerouser, in 1962 Munro was hired as an IWA business agent. Though responsible for the entire Kootenays, he felt more at home in the more-militant West Kootenay. Munro opposed a settlement for local workers that was less than their coastal counterparts. He narrowly lost that battle, but pledged it wouldn’t happen again. Munro became president of the Nelson-Trail and District Labour Council, a member of Notre Dame University’s advisory board, and joined the New Democratic Party. In 1966 he ran in Nelson-Creston against Social Credit incumbent Wes Black but lost. After the election, Munro returned to union activities with renewed determination to achieve wage parity and matching contract dates for the IWA’s interior members. Following intense negotiations, an industrial inquiry commissioner was appointed, but his recommendations were rejected and thousands of workers walked out in October 1967.
“It was a tough strike, long and bitter, but it was probably the single most important event that shaped me into the style of union leader that I am today,” Munro wrote in his autobiography “Union Jack.” It lasted seven and a half months. When Kootenay Forest Products planned to bring in strikebreakers, Munro led 150 workers in a march down Baker Street. “It was an amazing sight and gave us all a tremendous sense of purpose,” he said. The mill at Castlegar struck its own deal after 119 days, but the rest of the interior stayed out over the winter. The employers eventually relented on money but
not on contract expiry dates. Their offer was again overwhelmingly rejected, but a negotiated settlement followed shortly thereafter that brought workers within 14 cents of parity. “It was the most important strike in my life,” Munro recalled. “That strike completely changed me. I had 4,000 or 5,000 people really dependent on my decisions. They were giving up everything because of the decisions I was making.” After the strike ended in May 1968, Munro was elected third vice-president of the IWA and moved to Vancouver. He became president in 1973 and held the job until his retirement in 1992.
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