Paul was born in Shoreacres, BC on April 17th, 1932 to parents Anne and Nicholas Koochin. As a small child he moved to Salmo with his parents living first at Porcupine then settling on some acreage on what is now Airport Road. He received his education in Salmo and at a very young age started working underground in the local mines. In 1955 he married Maureen Mang and they had three children. He eventually joined the Tunnel & Rock Union and travelled around the province working on many different highways and hydro electric dam projects as well as on a dam project in Pakistan.
Paul loved the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman and he especially enjoyed camping with his family and friends and did a lot of it over the years often driving into Tye through Blazed Creek in the dark of night having to build makeshift bridges along the way where the water had washed them away.
In the 70’s it was his love of the outdoors that inspired him and his friend Pete to purchase a piece of property on Kootenay Lake where they could fish and camp with their families year round. Once retired he would pack up in early spring and head to the lake and stay there until Thanksgiving welcoming anyone who wanted to visit or spend a night or two. It brought him great joy when the kids and the grandkids came to spend weekends camping.
Paul is survived by his wife Maureen, his children Brian (Gail) Koochin, Sheri (Wally) Huser and Rodney (Brandy) Koochin, his grandchildren, great-grandchildren, his sister Dawn (Walter) Kuit, and many nieces and nephews and their children.
There will be no service by Paul’s request. If you wish to do so donations can be made to the Nelson Branch of the SPCA.
”Anyone can watch the sun set, not everyone will get up to watch it rise”
~Dad & Grandpa~
Our heartfelt thanks to “the girls” at the Salmo Wellness Centre, the homecare workers and nurse Maggie for the kindness and compassion shown to our Dad, to the ambulance attendants Lana & Faye and RCMP Tom your tasks are not easy but were handled with grace and to the neighbors for all the little things you did that did not go unnoticed. To friends, family and community for your kind words and expressions of sympathy. We thank you all!!
Brian, Sheri, Rodney and families and Dawn and family.
On line condolences may be expressed at www.thompsonfs.ca
Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Thompson Funeral Service Ltd.