A look at some of the people we lost this year.
Amanda Asay, 33. Nelson resident who was the longest-serving member of Canada’s women’s national baseball team. Died Jan. 7 in a skiing accident at Whitewater.
Arthur Bartsch, 88. Notre Dame University and David Thompson University Centre professor who fought to preserve the institutions’ library collections. Died Feb. 5.
Ray Benedetti, 91. Co-proprietor of Wait’s News, 1962-89. Died Sept. 10.
Sylvia Crooks, 85. Author of books on Nelson’s contribution to both World Wars. Died May 26.
Ryon Guedes. Editor of the Nelson Daily News, 1980-90. Died Sept. 28 in Cranbrook.
Merle Hanson. Mayor of Salmo 1977-99. His 40 years on village council overall made him the region’s longest-serving politician. Died Aug. 5.
Cole Harris, 86. Slocan Valley-raised geographer, UBC professor, and officer of the Order of Canada who wrote about European settlement and the impact of colonialism. Died Sept. 26.
Trevor Harrop, 94. Former New Denver resident who swam for Great Britain at the 1948 Olympics in London. Died April 9.
Ray Kosiancic, 88. Crescent Valley dairy farmer and car buff. Died April 29.
Ernie Mason, 86. Prominent local realtor, active in politics and community organizations. Died March 9.
Mary Mortimer. Host of Tale Spinners on Kootenay Co-op Radio. Died Sept. 12.
Bob Nuyens, 87. Local credit union manager and 1977 Nelson Citizen of the Year. Died May 15.
Mark Nykanen, 70. Novelist, journalist, and press secretary for California Gov. Jerry Brown who lived in Nelson from the 2000s to 2010s. Died Sept. 16 in Victoria.
Lawney Reyes, 91. Sinixt artist and author, whose mother Mary and grandfather Alex Christian (Pic Ah Kelowna) were the last Sinixt people to live at k’pit’els (Brilliant). Died Aug. 10 in Washington state.
Ed Sikula, 86. Former teacher and/or principal at Hume, Procter, and Rosemont schools. Died Oct. 26.
Eric Smith, 104. Nelson’s oldest veteran, who served in the RCAF during the Second World War as an airframe mechanic. Lived most of his life at Longbeach. Died Aug. 18.
Jean Stahl, 92. Prominent Salmo figure and font of local history. Died Jan. 4 in Trail.
Norma Vecchio, 89. Costume designer for Notre Dame University and David Thompson University Centre theatre productions. The costume shop at the Capitol Theatre is named after her. Died Feb. 9.
