João (John) Evangelista Verde
March 20, 1927 - September 2, 2012
John E. Verde was born to a fishing family in Vila Praia de Âncora, a village on the north coast of Portugal.
At age fourteen he became a mariner and fished on the Grand Banks. In 1955 he gained immigration to Canada, establishing the Verde family in this country.
John’s fishing years were difficult ones and his stories of that era had a melancholic undertone. He worked for Alcan in Kitimat from 1956 to 1992 and this long tenure provided financial security for his family, both here and in Portugal. John was a founder of the Luso Canadian Association in Kitimat in 1961.
On retirement, John joined a son and two daughters in White Rock, BC where he gravitated to the sea-side and spent his days strolling the promenade or netting fish in the shallow waters. Each day he would arrive home tired, but content. He was surrounded by family and two sons living in other provinces paid frequent visits.
In December 2011, his wife Georgete died while he too was in perilous health. He went from the hospital to a care home before succumbing to cancer. The care he received (from individuals too numerous to thank individually) was exemplary and appreciated.
John will be lying at rest beside his wife at the Garden of Gethsemani Cemetery where we may visit to reminesce and enjoy the pleasant spot that the two of them picked out. He is greatly admired for his dedication to family and will be missed.
Always loved, Forever missed.