George (Beaver) Strey

Mr. George (Beaver) Strey, age 88 years, passed away peacefully on Saturday, April 23, 2022 in hospital.

George was born January 1, 1934 in Port Arthur, Ontario and was raised and educated locally. He was out cruising one day when he spotted Shirley Zaporzan waiting for a bus - he thought she was cute so he offered her a ride. The two of them went on to create a beautiful life together that was filled with love and laughter. George was a loving man who put so much time and effort into providing fun for his family - whether it was camping trips, maintaining the backyard pool, teaching Thomas and James how to swing a hammer and garden, picking out the perfect family board game for Christmas Eve or perfecting his recipe for Sauce and Balls.

George worked in the grain industry. He was part of the Thunder Bay Grain Trimmers until his retirement at age 67. He enjoyed golfing and was a long time member of the Fort William Country Club. He made a life-long group of friends through work and golf and he and Shirley hosted the annual Grain Dust Tournament. They spent many winters away enjoying their time together and golfing in warmer climates. As a skilled wood worker, he could often be found in his woodshop where he enjoyed building things for his family - everything from a china cabinet to bird houses. He also enjoyed feeding and watching the birds, tending to his flower gardens and he used to enjoy meeting with the boys for coffee.

George will be missed by children Wendy (John) Andruski and Pat (Anne); grandchildren, Christine (Jeff) Currie, Jon Andruski and Mackenzie Strey; great grandsons, Thomas and James Currie; sisters Edith Halverson and Eileen Matson, in-laws Ralph Zaporzan, Eileen (Angelo) Bottos, Ted (Amanda) Zaporzan and numerous other relatives.

George was predeceased by his loving wife of 65 years, Shirley; son, William “Bill” Strey; and his parents, Elizabeth and William Gardner.

A private memorial service will be held at a later date. Arrangements have been entrusted to the WESTFORT CHAPEL, 420 Gore Street West at James.

If friends desire, memorial donations may be made to The Canadian -Ukrainian Foundation http://www.cufoundation.ca/ or The Underground Gym.