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Amelia Esther Babuin passed away into the arms of Jesus in the early morning of October 3 2011. Esther was born at Grand Forks, B.C., on January 14, 1915, to Joe and Maria Rossi. She spent her early years on the family farm in the North Fork with her four sisters: Genes, Evelyn, Marion and Nancy and her brother Gigi.

Due to a lack of work, Joe Rossi sadly sold the family farm and took his family to Italy for a few years. Here Esther’s baby brother, Angelo was born. All the sisters had to work to help support the family during this time of the Depression. In 1932, Esther and her family were able to return to the North Fork where they once again had the joy of living on a farm. Despite the grueling work of farming by hand and living off the land, Esther and her siblings had fond and joyful memories of these years spent together in the North Fork. All had fascinating and fun stories to share and Esther would often recall having to stuff newspaper into the cracks of their unfinished home to keep the drafts out!

In 1933 Esther met Ezio Babuin in Trail, they fell in love and were married in 1937. They had 12 happy years together in which Sergio and Diana were born to them. Tragically Ezio passed away in 1949. Esther struggled to raise her children on her own for a few years and then she met and married Dante Babuin and had son Leo. Esther and Dante spent most of their years together in Grand Forks where they were close to many of their family members.

Esther was predeceased by her parents, Joe and Maria Rossi; her husbands, Ezio and Dante; her sisters and brothers-in-law: Genes (Giovanni Poletto), Evelyn (Ricardo Pavan) and Nancy (Charlie) Schiavon; her sisters-in-law: Teresa Rossi , Irma(Ernesto) Zanon and Anna Rossi; brothers-in-law: Tom Fisher, Gordon Bryant, Frank (Asunta) Babuin, Angelo (Lena) Babuin, Guido (Gemma) Babuin, Tony (Rose) Babuin (Italy), Santin (Maria) Babuin, Father Aldo Babuin (Guatamela); and by her grandson, Donald Campbell.

She will be very sadly missed by her children: Sergio (Flo) Babuin, Diana Campbell, and Leo Babuin; by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Cathy Lafontaine (Jade), Dina and Rob Chambers (Grayson, Redmond, Carson and Chanelle), Dean and Pam Babuin (Ashton, Acacia and Joel), Brent and Kirsten Campbell, Kelly Campbell and Patrick Thomson (Larissa and Haley; her sister, Marion Bryant; and brothers, Gigi Rossi and Angelo Rossi; brother in-law, Agusto (Anoinetta) Babuin; sister in-law, Rosa Babuin (Italy); as well as many other family and friends.

Esther enjoyed a full life. She delighted in the simple things, such as family and laughter, singing Italian songs, Sunday drives up the North Fork, marveling at the little hummingbirds in her feeder or the baby fawns in the back yard, keeping her home immaculately clean, loving on her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends, cooking the best spaghetti dinners ever and making sure no one ever went away hungry!! Her crinkly eyed smile and laughter, her hugs and kisses and deep compassion and concern for everyone’s well being will be greatly missed.

The family would like to give a heartfelt thank you to all the nurses and caregivers of Hardy View Lodge where Esther lived in her final years. The kindness and compassion you gave was so appreciated by both Esther and the family. Grand Forks Funeral Home was in care of arrangements.



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