On Friday, April 28, 2023 Kenneth Gauthier passed away at the East Kootenay Regional Hospital at the age of 78 years.  Ken was born in Cranbrook and spent his childhood years here.

Ken followed his older brother Jim to Canal Flats in his late teens.  He worked in  a few different sawmills and as a surveyor’s helper on local highways and on surveying the flood line for the Mica Dam, which created Kinbasket Lake.  He spent a few solitary summers in fire lookouts on the tops of mountains between Cranbrook and Golden.   Ken was involved in the forest industry all his working life and retired in 2009 as a Manager at Crestbrook Forest Industries (Tembec).

Ken met his wife, Diane in Canal Flats and married in 1966.  They welcomed two sons to their family.  Ken became a forest ranger and in 1969 moved to the Kettle Valley/Rock Creek area of the Okanagan.  In 1972, the family moved to Creston where he started with Crestbrook Forest Industries.  He was then transferred to Cranbrook in 1974.  Ken started out as a layout/timber cruiser and worked his way to becoming Woodlands superintendent.  His career in the woods spanned 45 years from 1964 to 2009.  That job took him many places – all over Canada, the US and Denmark, Finland and Sweden.  His love of Canadian history and his own family’s early history took him from coast to coast in Canada and all the way to Alaska.

Ken leaves behind his two sons: Mark (Michele) and Lee (Tiffany) as well as 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.  He also leaves behind his two brothers, Jim and Mike.  He was predeceased by his beloved wife Diane and his sister Jean.

A Celebration of Life for Ken will be held at a later date.