Lawrence was born on October 6, 1944 in Nelson, British Columbia to Bill and Winnie Koorbatoff. He graduated from Stanley Humphries high school in Castlegar, B.C. then married his sweetheart Evelyn Jmaiff on June 15, 1968. They lived together in Kinnaird, B.C. for two years before moving to the big city. In Burnaby, B.C. Lawrence started trade school as an electrician, while working in Richmond, B.C. and had his first of four daughters, Shelley.
Needless to say, that changed everything. 6 months later, Dad got a new job winding motors at Westinghouse and whisked us away to cold and snowy Prince George, B.C. where he finished his apprenticeship. Now, in Prince George there was not much else to do in the long winter months except stay inside and keep warm…so, before long they had Lisa and 4 years later, Natasha…and a year after that started on their fourth.
After more than 6 years of plowing snow and slipping on icy sidewalks, dad packed up his beautiful pregnant wife and three kids and moved us all South to sunny and warm Vernon, B.C. where Stephanie was born. Then, feeling homesick for the Kootenays, 2 years later Dad got a job with Boundary Electric as an electrician and we all moved to Grand Forks, B.C. where we stayed.
As you can imagine, four girls were quite a handful and he handled it with grace…as long as he could watch the BCTV 6 o’clock news with Tony Parsons and Tommy Hunter. And of course, there was always his man cave retreat…the workshop in the basement.
On the weekends, we would find him on his lathe creating bookshelves or tinkering with electronics. This is also where he created his greatest works of art for our various school projects, with a bit of help from his monthly subscription to Popular Science. Everything from realistic looking log cabins to exploding volcanoes. He was especially talented with chicken wire and paper mache. His ultimate masterpiece was a dolphin jumping out of the ocean. We always got an A+. Dad also had a special talent for Halloween costumes. Our favorites were the robot and rubics cube.
One thing we loved about dad, is he was always, always there for us and the family. No matter what we needed. Everything from car trouble, to electrical wiring, to natural remedies, to dirty dishes, to moving…with four girls, we all moved around a lot. He never ever questioned when he was asked to help.
Dad retired from CanPar in 2007 and became a full-time grandfather of four grandchildren, Zaria 19, Jacob 18, Justus 16, and James 3.5 years. In the summer months, Dad spent hours enjoying the garden and the yard where he perfected his patented precision diamond criss-cross lawn cutting maneuver. In addition to his grandchildren and the garden, Dad had many other interests and was always experimenting with new ideas. He practiced Qi Gong and meditated every day for years. He was quick to say yes when we asked him to join us on our outdoor adventures like tubing down the river, kayaking in the ocean or paddle boarding in the lake. Every time we golfed, we would reminisce about his hole-in-one, back in the day. He was also an excellent prep-cook and taste-tester, helping mom with canning and making borscht.
Every time we visited home he would have a big hug and big smile waiting for us. Dad was a quiet and reserved man, always greeting people with a smile. Except for when we would get him going with a good joke or rambunctious game of Pictionary. After dinner, we would all indulge in his favorite…vanilla ice cream. Dad had a sweet tooth and he passed it along to all of us girls. We made one of his other favorites for all of you to enjoy at lunch today, cowboy cookies.
Lawrence passed away suddenly and at peace at 72 years young last Saturday at the Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria, B.C., surrounded by his wife anddaughters singing Russian songs and holding his hands, and brother Bill.
He was predeceased by his parents Bill and Winnie Koorbatoff, an infant son and an infant grandson.
He is survived by his loving wife of 48 years, Evelyn Koorbatoff, his daughters Shelley, Lisa, Natasha and Stephanie, 4 grandchildren Zaria, Jacob, Justus and James, and his brothers Bill and Rob. He will be missed by us all and will always be in our hearts.
A funeral service was held Saturday April 29 at the USCC Community Centre with burial to follow in the Sion Cemetery Grand Forks, B.C. Funeral arrangements entrusted to Everett Baker of the Grand Forks Funeral Home.