Frank Yanivicius (March 27, 1927 – June 22, 2015).
Image Credit: Contributed
May 03, 2017 - 1:00 PM
VERNON - When he passed away two years ago, North Okanagan resident Frank Yanavicius left his entire estate to the Vernon Jubilee Hospital Foundation.
The foundation, which announced the donation today, says it is the largest single legacy gift it has ever received.
“This generous gift from Mr. Yanavicius will ensure improved health care for North Okanagan generations to come,” the foundation’s director of development Sue Beaudry says in a release.
The gift, which is in excess of $1 million, is to recognize the exceptional care Yanavicius received at Vernon Jubilee Hospital in his later years. Yanavicius died June 22, 2015 at the age of 88.
An only child, Yanavicius was born in Lithuania in 1927. At the age of six, he immigrated to Canada with his father and mother, settling in the Lumby area, where Frank grew up, states a release from the foundation.
A lifelong bachelor, Frank retired in 1984, after a 33-year career as a metal sheet fabricator in Vancouver and Calgary. He returned to Vernon to pursue the activities that he loved. Frank was a well-recognized and avid fly fisherman. His passion for the sport led him to become a founding member of the Kalamalka Flyfishers Club.
Instrumental in teaching newcomers, “Uncle Frank” as he was often called, taught fly fishing and fly tying courses, the foundation says. When teaching fly casting he would often remark to those trying to outcast each other, “I don’t know what it is with you guys, just get the boat closer.”
The annual Fishing Day for Kids at Polson Park was another project that Frank loved to be involved in. He participated in many projects, most notably the annual Coldstream Creek enhancement, which upgrade the weirs for the fish to climb during the spawning season. In recognition of his many contributions to the club, Frank was made a lifetime honourary member.
Always careful with his money, a friend remembers asking Frank when he was going to buy a new truck, the response was: “No need, the bucket of bolts is still running.”
Thanks to this thriftiness, Frank Yanavicius left a generous legacy for patients at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. Funds from his bequest will be directed to support expanded surgical services for Vernon Jubilee Hospital, according to the foundation's press release.
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