Lillian Mae Eichinger

It is with great sadness and regret that I announce the passing of my mother, Lillian Mae Eichinger on Thursday, August 17th at the wonderful age of 93 years old.

Lillian is survived by her daughter Heather Eichinger, and son Ron Eichinger. She is also survived by Ron’s wife Shannon Eichinger and their two daughter’s Robin and Haley as well as many other relatives.

She was predeceased by her loving husband Peter Eichinger Jr. in 2017.  Mom was also predeceased by her wonderful parents Paul & Annie Masur (Glaicar), who had 15 children in total and mom was the last of the Masur family to pass away.

Mom was born in Melville, Saskatchewan on April 18th, 1931. Their family of 17 were all very close and Mom loved to show off their family photo and up until her death could still name each of her brothers and sisters.  Mom loved my dad with all of her heart and her parents and her siblings in addition to my dad’s mother & father, Peter & Olga Eichinger,. I take great comfort knowing that they are now all together again.

Mom moved from her hometown of Melville, Saskatchewan and followed family to Calgary and later to Armstrong, BC where she met my dad at the local sawmill.  Mom worked in the office and my dad kept coming by to sharpen his pencil.  It turned out that Dad was coming in so often for the opportunity see my Mom. From there a romance blossomed, and they were engaged on Valentine’s Day in 1963 and were married on my mom’s birthday.

Mom and dad began their new life on their beloved 322-acre farm in the North Spallumcheen along the Shuswap River. They both worked very hard to provide for our family and instilled a hard work ethic in both my brother and myself.

I have so many interesting childhood memories of life on the farm. Let’s say that there was never a dull moment.  Mom would go to the Valley Auction with my dad and you never knew what kind of interesting birds or animals she would bring home. I believe one time she bought ducks but they got away from the yard and ended up in the river.  Dad had to retrieve the ducks on Mom’s behalf. I still laugh at my mom batting a weasel to death with her broom in our chicken coop. Mom also loved to smoke meats in an old fridge in our yard and one day when I came home from school I noticed smoke billowing out of the fridge and all her meat was toasted instead of just smoked.  I also have fond memories of Mom pulling my brother and me on our toboggan up our hill then watching us slide down and repeating this for several hours at a time.  Even though mom did not swim it did not stop her from taking us in our boat for a swim in the river. She never once complained about all the rowing she had to do. Mom was very athletic and loved to play golf in her younger years. She was also affectionately known as the heavy hitter on my aunt’s baseball team. Mom enjoyed bowling and lawn bowling and was quite competitive and proud of her high scores. Family and friends were always welcome at our table and my mom was a wonderful cook and baker. She made the best Polish cabbage rolls ever and was very good at finding substitute ingredients if she did not have what the recipe called for on hand. In her spare time, she loved watching hockey on the TV and often you could hear her yelling at the TV if her team was losing. Mom also enjoyed playing piano and organ.  I was always amazed that she could play by ear.

Mom and Dad shared a passion for fishing.  They made countless memories of fishing the local lakes in the Okanagan in their trusty boat.  Sometimes, their day of fishing turned into a day like no other. On one fishing trip they were confronted by an angry Grissley Bear who wanted more than just their lunch and another time mom lost her dentures in the lake.
In 1996, my parents finally retired and purchased a lovely home in Mcleod Subdivision in Armstrong. Mom loved their new home and the beautifully landscaped gardens.

They were fortunate to travel and enjoyed many cruises and trips abroad.  I was thrilled that Mom got to finally fly in a plane at age 65 when she and Dad flew to the Czech Republic to visit Dad’s relatives.
My brother Ron, and his wife Shannon blessed Mom and Dad with two beautiful granddaughters. Mom adored Robin and Haley and often when they were young she commuted from Armstrong to Lumby to look after them.  When Haley decided to enter the world Mom drove Shannon and young Robin to the hospital.  I can’t imagine how she got them there safely while surely being a bundle of nerves. It would have been the first time she drove over the speed limit as she often boasted about never receiving a speeding ticket.

In 2016, Mom and Dad decided it was time to downsize so they moved to Vernon. .  
After my dad passed away my mom’s health began to decline and we decided it would be best to move to Kelowna so I could be closer to work and could check on her more often.  It was a difficult time for both of us as her health issues worsened. She was later diagnosed with dementia and at the age of 88, Mom then went to stay at the David Lloyd Jones care facility in Kelowna. She lived there for almost five years until her recent passing. I am grateful to the nurses and care aids who provided my mom care and laughter during her stay besides being understaffed.

I take this opportunity to thank my second cousin Dawn Wiens for everything she has done and for often joining me on visits with my mom. I would also like to thank my cousins Donna and Lisa for their love and support.

Please feel free to donate to your local Alzheimer & Dementia Society in honor of Lillian Mae Eichinger. She would have greatly appreciated your support to help find a cure for this cruel condition that takes over the lives of many.

And remember to stay in touch with those you know and love who are suffering from Dementia. Although their minds are failing they are still the person inside who you knew and perhaps loved. My mom pleasantly surprised me on her good days where we would both end up reminiscing and laughing for hours. 

I attended my mom’s internment at the Armstrong Spallumcheen Cemetery on Thursday, August 29th.  She now rests peacefully alongside my dad.

Mom, you will be forever in our hearts. I will miss your humor and attention to detail and unconditional love.

Your loving daughter, Heather.

Arrangements entrusted to

Cypress Funeral & Cremation Services 250-766-4400

Condolences may be expressed to the family by phone or email through Cypress Funeral & Cremation Services: