It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Faye Joan Tench on April 9, 2014 in her house in Trail. She was our wife, sister, mother, grandmother, den mother, niece, and friend. Faye was born in Grand Junction, Colorado on August 31, 1931, to John Lowell Broome and Agnes White. She moved several times in her childhood as her father worked through the depression mastering his carpentry skills in the Western U.S. She met her future husband Gordie in May, 1951, and they were married three months later at home plate at the baseball park where Gordie pitched for the Redding, California, baseball team.
Faye loved to be active and to contribute to her community. She was an energetic and inspiring den mother to dozens of cub scouts in California, and later in Rossland, BC, where the family moved in 1969 to take care of Gordie's parents. She was a very open and warm person and anyone was welcome to drop by the house any time, unannounced; she developed strong relationships not just with those her own age, but with her boy's friends as well.
In the 70s Faye and Gordie moved to the East Kootenay, primarily in Elkford, Sparwood, and Fernie, where she delighted the local kids as a very scary witch each Hallowe'en. She was an avid letter writer and kept in close touch with dozens of friends and family in the US and Canada. She had a great sense of character, always doing the right thing, and raised her family accordingly. She had a deep and very tight bond with her surviving husband, Gordie. They had many many adventures over the years, and played cribbage or Scrabble pretty well every single night of the 62 years they were married. Faye found great comfort in the Bible in her later years.
She is survived by husband Gordie, sister Phyllis, uncle Larry, sons (and daughters-in-law) Rob (April), Mike (Joanne) and Rich (Sue), grandchildren (and their spouses/partners) Arielle, Sydney, Emily, Stephanie, Hannah and Griffin, and many nieces and nephews and their children.
At Faye's request there will be no funeral. A memorial service will be planned for June or July.
Cremation has already taken place. Al Grywacheski of Alternatives Funeral and Cremation Services™ has been entrusted with arrangements.
As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to the Kootenay Boundary Regional Hospital Health Foundation at 1200 Hospital Bench Road, Trail, BC, V1R 4M1 or online at www.kbrhheathfoundation.ca