SNOWMOBILING LEGACY
A tribute to Pat
This man's passion for and dedication to sledding will be remembered
by KIRSTEN ARMLEDER
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| A SLEDDER AT HEART: Pat loved to snowmobile; here he is pictured hillclimbing on his sled in March 2007. |
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RECEIVING RECOGNITION: Pat (R) was the recipient of the 2004 CCSO Canadian Snowmobiler of the Year award, presented by Bob Walsh, a past president of the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations.
—Photos courtesy Dennis Burns |
The snowmobiling community has lost a devoted member and good friend. After a three-year-long battle with cancer, Pat Whiteway passed away on December 25, 2007, amongst family and friends at his home in Kelowna, B.C.
Born in Vancouver on May 25, 1944, Pat was an avid snowmobiler and a great ambassador of the sport. He became involved with the Kelowna Snowmobile Club in 1973 and four years later won the BC Championship Snowmobile Race in Revelstoke.
Pat’s contributions to the sport were many: he was the president of the Canadian Council of Snowmobile Organizations (CCSO), president of the International Snowmobile Council, a director on the British Columbia Snowmobile Federation (BCSF) board, as well as a past executive director and past president of the BCSF. In 2004, Pat received the CCSO’s Canadian Snowmobiler of the Year Award. He held various positions, including president, with the Kelowna Snowmobile Club (KSC). He guided runs, organized events and was involved with the snowmobile patrol, search and rescue, and the grooming program for the KSC. Pat was also on the board for the Land Resource Management Plan and he worked hard to resolve issues concerning snowmobiling.
Sledding was a big part of Pat’s family life. His wife, Barb, and daughters, Deanna and Jamie, have many fond memories of family outings.
“Growing up, I can remember almost every weekend up in the hills with Dad,” wrote Jamie in a biography about her father. “Every other weekend was either a chili run, poker run, family days or grilling ham and cheeses up at the cabins. Those were the best times of my life.”
Pat volunteered countless hours—even while battling cancer—to help support and improve the sport he loved so much. Without his contributions, the world of snowmobiling as we know it would not be the same. The sledding community will be forever in his debt.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Pat’s family and friends. May the memory of his kind, giving nature and great contributions to snowmobiling bring you comfort.
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