Kenneth G. Stoker

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved grandfather, father and husband, Kenneth G. Stoker.  Ken passed away peacefully on May 20, 2023, ten days before his 79^th birthday.  He is survived by his wife of over 55 years; Rose, sons; Dwayne (Paula) and Réal (Amy) and grandchildren; Calysta, Aidan, Rylan and Ethan Stoker.  He was pre-deceased by his grandson Daeden in 2018.

Ken was born in Edmonton, AB on May 30, 1944 and raised in Beaverlodge, AB.  He was involved in the Cadet program from a very young age and stayed with the militia until he was 18.  He met Rose, his true love and life partner in Grand Prairie, AB when he was 22 years of age.  They married in 1967, settled in Peace River, AB and welcomed two sons to their family: Dwayne in 1969 and Réal in 1972.

The Stoker family moved to Whitehorse, YT in September 1974.  Ken’s first job in the Yukon was with Hougen’s Limited in Hardware.  Rose would never know how much of his paycheque he would bring home each month, as Ken enjoyed buying store products against his wages.  As that employment wasn’t profitable, he became a dispatcher during the Anvil Mine era and worked for White Pass & Yukon Route (1978-1984), Yukon Alaska Transport (1985-1993) and Lomak North Corp (1993-1998).  He was very well known and respected in the trucking industry, for his honesty and fairness to all truck drivers.  Whenever the Mine would shut down, Ken was fortunate enough to find work on a casual basis at Whitehorse General Hospital, in medical shipping and receiving.  Ken also worked as a warehouseman for A-1 Deliveries until his retirement in 2007.

One of the highlights of their life together, was the months Ken and Rose spent every year since 1986 enjoying the climate and lifestyle in Kona, Hawaii, where they made life-long friends and had many adventures.  Ken and Rose also really enjoyed camping in the Yukon in the summer months – with their trailer and campsite always filled with good food, games and happy family members.  Ken was a loving, wonderful father, and he found so much joy and fulfillment in spending time with all his grandchildren.  Ken loved being “Pépére” and was always present at their volleyball and basketball games, and celebrating all their events, awards and accomplishments with love and pride.

Since October 2021, Ken was living at Copper Ridge Place long-term facility.  He received excellent care from everyone at Copper Ridge Place for which our family is so very thankful. We appreciated their compassion, communication and understanding, and for making his stay feel like a home.  A big thank you as well to Dr. Jessica Blake and Dr. Brad Avery for all their care over the years.

At this time, there is no public funeral service planned.  A small family celebration of life will be held later in the summer.