Wilbur Leverne Field passed away peacefully at Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Hospice House on March 19, 2022, just two weeks short of his 97th birthday.
Wilbur is survived by Winona, his devoted wife of 68 years; his sons, Brian (Jill) Field, Ron (Jody) Field and daughter, Susan (Randy) Engemoen. Wilbur was a loving grandfather to Devon, Riley (Rachel) and Brodie Field; Kirstyne (Kyle) Brewer and Shauna (Colin) Leslie. Great-Grandpa to Hayden and Mylo Brewer, Lukas and Charlotte Field. Wilbur was also step-grandfather to Mike (Meghan, Arizona and Addison) Bryant and Angela (Casey, Isaac and Levi) Hensrud.
Wilbur was born to A.R.(Speedy) and Kathleen Field on April 2, 1925 in Lytton, BC. The family soon relocated to Kamloops and welcomed second son, Ralph. Wilbur completed his schooling in Kamloops and went onto UBC in Vancouver. A highlight of his time at UBC was refereeing a game for the Harlem Globe Trotters.
Wilbur was a community leader in Kamloops and a true visionary. He was President of the Chamber of Commerce (1965), Past Secretary of the Kamloops Rotary Club, and a Past Master of the St. Paul Masonic Lodge #109. He was also an original shareholder of NL Broadcasting.
Wilbur and Winona were the second generation to own and manage Newell Flower Shop, the family business established by his in-laws, Mr and Mrs H.A. Newell, in 1938 in downtown Kamloops. Wilbur garnered many industry awards, including the Northwest Floral Association’s “Florist of the Year”. The business is currently owned by Brian Field….the third generation.
Wilbur was a long-time member of the Kamloops Golf and Country Club. He was also one of the original investors in Tod Mountain, now Sunpeaks. His enthusiasm for skiing continued well into his golden years, and he commemorated his 75th birthday by skiing 75 days in the ski season of 1999/2000!
Wilbur and Winona resided in their Douglas Street home for many decades, moving to Kamloops Seniors Village in 2015.
