Obituary of Kauko Olavi Halminen
of Courtice, Ontario passed away peacefully at Lakeridge Health Oshawa on Tuesday August 22, 2017, in his 94th year.
Beloved husband of 71 years and best friend of the late Elma Viola Halminen (nee Lotsari). They were married in Turku, Finland in 1945. Beloved father of Marja; Hannu (Karen); John (Sue); Anu (Peter) Thorne; Paul (Lisa); Anita (Joe) Hawco. Loving grandfather of Joel (Cindee), Julie (Michael), Lisa (Paul), Lori, Michael (Sue), Chris (Jennifer), Tyson (Josy), Sarah (Rob), Holly (Shaun), Kristen, Lauren (Brandon), Colton, Gracen, and 19 great grandchildren. Fondly remembered by his cousins, nephews and nieces in Finland, Canada, USA, and abroad.
Kauko was born in Oulu, Finland on April 11, 1924 to Kaarlo Halminen and Ida (nee Markkula) Halminen. He is predeceased by his five siblings: Aino Jomppanen; Toivo Halminen; Veikko Halminen; Marjatta Aakko and Elsa Halminen.
Kauko proudly served his country in WWII. In honour of Finland’s Centenary celebration this year, He was looking forward to being awarded the First Class Medal of the Order of the White Rose of Finland for defending Finland and helping secure its independence.
He was a brave and adventurous man who came to Canada in 1956 from Finland to build a better life. He knew how to work hard, and raised six children with his wife Elma. He was a skilled carpenter, and in 1973, along with sons, Hannu and Juha (John), founded Halminen Homes, a local construction company. He enjoyed his cottage on Eagle Lake in Haliburton, and wintering in Jupiter, Florida in his later years. He also enjoyed visiting his homeland of Finland many times, but Canada was where he planted his heart and his potatoes.
A Private Family Service and Burial will be held on Saturday, September 9th. A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life held for family and friends on Saturday, November 11th at the College Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, 1164 King St. E., Oshawa, ON L1H 1H9 at 4 pm., with visitation from 3 - 4 pm. Kauko was an avid fundraiser for Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA). Memorial donations may be made to ADRA Canada, www.adra.ca.
