Carmela Wood (nee Pascuzzo)
March 5, 1920 ~ October 25, 2014
Carmela Wood (nee Pascuzzo) a long-time resident of Sirdar, passed away in her sleep in the early hours of October 25, 2014 at the Creston Valley Hospital.
Born in Sirdar on March 5, 1920 to Santo and Maria Pascuzzo, Carmela grew up there attending Sirdar School along with her nine siblings; she was known for her fine penmanship, earning an award during grade 8, her final year of school. She worked on the family farm until she met and fell in love with her future husband at a local community dance. After her marriage on September 11, 1943 to William Moline (Pat) Wood in Nelson, Carmela moved to Tye and resided there for six years, whereupon she and her growing family returned to Sirdar so that her children could attend school.
A wife, mother and homemaker, Carmela enjoyed making bread, knitting, sewing, embroidery and other needlework. Also during her early years, attending weekly Catholic Mass at the Pascuzzo family home in Sirdar was important to Cam, as well as caring for her ailing parents.
Four years after the arrival of her fifth child, Carmela became a widow, after the sudden passing of her husband on November 11, 1964. Having no formal vocational training, Carmela continued as homemaker and mother, raising her three youngest children, with little assistance, until they graduated post-secondary education and started full-time employment in their chosen fields.
She enjoyed reading, gardening and preserving the fruits of her labour, whether it was canning, pickling or freezing items from her prolific garden. Carmela also acted as Storekeeper, regularly filling in at the Sirdar General Store whenever her eldest daughter was away. She welcomed customers, regaling them with stories of Sirdar during its heyday, and continued helping out this way until she was well into her late seventies.
Carmela also relished travelling, often criss-crossing BC by CPR passenger train with some or all of her children en tow. In her later “retirement” years, she enjoyed returning to her parents’ birth place in Italy, touring Europe, cruising the Caribbean and to Alaska, also gambling south of the border with other members of the Wynndel Seniors Club. She also was a member of the Catholic Women’s League in Creston and rarely missed the annual fall tea and bazaar held every November.
One of her all-time favourite pastimes was visiting with friends and relatives. Carmela always had a pot of tea and cookies or some other goody on hand to serve any visitor, but she especially enjoyed when her grandchildren and then later her great grandchildren dropped in to see Granny.
Her husband, William (Pat) Wood, daughter Judith Ann Nickisch and eight Pascuzzo siblings predeceased her.
Carmela will be dearly missed by elder sister Ann Pascuzzo of Vancouver; her children Shannon (Chris) Nickisch, William Santo Wood, both from Sirdar, Susan (Mike) Harris of Nakusp, and Carmen (Ben) Conn of Wynndel; six grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren; four great-great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews and their families.
A Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday, November 4, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Church
with Father Tom Kakkaniyil officiating.
Interment will follow the service at Forest Lawn Cemeteryin Erickson, BC.
Friends wishing to make a memorial contribution may do so to the Creston Valley Hospital - Equipment Fund, Bag 3000, Creston, BC, V0B 1G0 or to the Catholic Women's League - P.O. Box 299, Creston, BC, V0B 1G0.