Chris Nolan

February 27, 2024

In loving memory ~

Long-time Cominco employee, Chris Nolan, passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, February 27th at the age of 75. He was living in Columbia View Lodge in Trail and had been there for a few years. Before that, he managed an apartment building as an aside on Columbia in Castlegar.

Chris was adopted and spent his formative years in Hayward, California, and then served in the U.S. military in the early 1970s. Thereafter, in 1973 or 1974, he came to Canada, settling near the Nelway border crossing. He worked briefly at the Triangle Pacific sawmill in Slocan City and then as a crane operator for the CPR on area track maintenance. After that, he worked for 35 years at Cominco.

Chris's friends knew him as a man with a good sense of humour. He believed that if you smiled and told a few harmless jokes, every situation would be bettered and everyone would be happier. For many years, he had coffee at the A & W each morning where he joshed with other retirees and worked at the daily Province crossword puzzle.

Chris had a passion for food. No matter when you talked to him, he mentioned a meal he was going to cook, itemizing the ingredients. Other times he would talk about restaurant menu items at places he was going to eat. His favourite food times were on the night shift at Cominco when he and his working buddies would cook up a storm, usually steaks and the works.

Chris loved to golf, although he had to give it up in the past few years because of a bad back. If he wasn't talking about food, he was talking about golf with his golfing friends, Mike Phipps, Len Bleier, Lawrence Shumey, Gord Turner, and Lorna Manzer.

His other passion was NFL football, in particular, his beloved San Francisco Forty-Niners because he grew up in that area. When the 49ers were playing, he was glued to the television. He was happy the last few years because the 49ers were at the top of their game and went to the Super Bowl.

Chris could be recognized by the vehicle he drove for years, a Toyota Scion mini-van that looked like a lunch bucket. He bought this vehicle after his Dodge Dakota truck with the 49ers logo was stolen and badly damaged. He never failed to toot at people he knew as he drove by.

Chris was known for his generosity in helping people and organizations. For many years, he volunteered at the Canadian Red Cross office signing out equipment and covering for regular workers. Often near Christmas, he could be found manning a Salvation Army charity globe and ringing a bell outside various businesses in Castlegar. For brief periods, he served as a Castlegar Lions Club member, a Castlegar Legion member, a Castlegar Seniors member, and a Friends of the Library member.

Chris has no close relatives in the immediate area. He is survived by daughter Michelle Nolan from Edmonton, granddaughter Gianna Medici in Newport Beach, California, stepson Shane Kabatoff in Red Deer, older brother Steven Nolan of Citrus Heights, California and aunt Judith Figgens of Concord, California. He was predeceased by his daughter Traci Nolan-Medici.

A celebration of life for Chris Nolan will be held on March 20th in the Castlegar Funeral Home at two o'clock. Those who knew Chris are welcome.