Obituary of Clifford Edward Folk

Obituary Clifford Edward Folk December 28, 1945-January 28, 2021 As Cliff himself said as he was picking out songs, slideshow pictures and thinking of what to have said in his eulogy and obituary, “It’s hard to cram 75 years of good living into a few pictures and paragraphs.” Especially seeing that because of the covid-19 pandemic, only 8 members of his large family could even attend his funeral, he wanted the longer version of everything so his family could have proper closure. Cliff was born on December 28, 1945 at Bengough, Saskatchewan, Canada the eldest child of eleven born to Mike and Dorothy Folk. Cliff passed away peacefully on January 28, 2021, at his home in Charlie Lake, B.C., after a brave five-year battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 54 years, Donna, daughter Koni Klein and son Dennis Folk. When only a few months old his family moved to an acreage by Cloverdale, BC. He had many happy memories of growing up surrounded by family. After church on Sundays everyone would congregate at his grandparents, for Dinner and to play music. In the Summer his Mother and siblings would live in tents on the beach at Whiterock, BC, while his father commuted the 15 minuets to work and back. He loved the freedom of running wild on the beach, “just be home for supper”. Life was like that back in the 1950’s. On the weekends aunts, uncles and cousins would also come to the beach. They’d all play music and have a good time. Cliff would join in on his saxophone. Life was carefree and good. Everything totally changed when his parents decided in 1959 to buy a section of unbroken land at Flatrock, 30 miles east of Fort St. John. When Cliff was 14 (1960), his parents and younger siblings moved to the land at Flatrock where there was not even a house yet. Gone were his carefree days of running the beach, playing with cousins and huge family dinners. Gone was the modern, large family home, with beautiful flowerbeds, lawns, running water, TVs, a furnace and electricity! Now instead of the private school he had attended, he found himself in a one room school with no running water or electricity! Now it was all work, work, work from dawn to dusk and then some. Building the house, a barn, a garage, digging a dugout for water, clearing the land, picking rocks, picking roots, plowing, getting ready to plant crops, planting a huge garden, picking weeks, building fences, caring for animals. All from scratch, true pioneer life. it was very hard work. His life changed as if he had gone back in time at least a century but he loved it! He adjusted and quickly became the “Hunter” for the family, supplying many moose, deer and wildfowl for his family. His hunting was the main supply of meat for the large family even after they began to raise other animals. Five years later at age 19 he met the love of his life, seventeen year old Donna Kindt-Snider. The following year, 1966, they married (and lived happily ever after.) To this union a daughter, Constance (Koni) was born in 1969 and a son, Dennis in 1973. Living in the area 61 years, Cliff was very well known in the community, for his infectious smile, helping hand, volunteer work, support of local charities, working at Inland Concrete for 52 years, sports activities (in younger years played Ball, Paintball, raced motorcycles, and Demolition Derbies) his 1955 Chevy 2 door hard top Sports Coupe he had in Car Shows and parades, his involvement in the Rod and Gun Club, his honesty, his dedication to Christ and involvement in the Church he attended. He was dubbed “the Candy Man” by many who knew him, including bank tellers, store clerks, nurses, Doctors and other hospital staff, cleaning ladies, waitresses, secretaries, office staff and many others. He loved surprising people with a little token of appreciation for what they do. Its amazing how a small thoughtful gesture can brighten someone’s day. Most times it was a big bag of candy, a box of chocolates or box of donuts for the whole staff. And of course, he always had candy and suckers for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He loved making people smile. Cliff was an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt, trap, fish and big game guide. Anything to do with the outdoors he loved, but mostly hunting. He loved nothing better than going on a hunt with his buddies and sleeping on his “spruceapedic” mattress. Every year he couldn’t wait for hunting season! When he became a part time Big Game Hunting Guide for Big Nine Outfitters in Northern British Columbia, it was his dream job…...go hunting every day plus getting paid for it! He was very family oriented, loved his large family, it meant everything to him. He leaves behind his sweetheart and wife, Donna, daughter Koni Klein and husband Chris, son Dennis Folk and wife Therese, 18 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. Brothers Ron (Jeanette) Folk, Rob (Ruth) Folk, Brian (Lisa) Folk, Don (Roxane) Folk, Steve (Christina) Folk. Sisters Diane (Shawn) McIlwain, Darlene (Bob) Modde, Doreen (Geoff) Spence, foster sister Margaret (Fred) Sanderson, sister-in-law Darlene Reitsma, 34 nieces and nephews and many great-nieces and nephews and countless friends He truly will be missed by many! “When working as a Big Game Guide, he would often go ahead and set up camp, having everything scouted out and ready for when the Hunters would come. This is how he looked at his passing…..he is merely going ahead to set up camp for his loved ones