Arkadiusz (Ark) Banaszek
March 11, 1968 - November 23, 2023
In Loving Memory
Arkadiusz (Ark) Banaszek
Arkadiusz (Ark) Banaszek, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away peacefully with his family by his side following a brave battle with cancer. Ark was born on March 11, 1968, in Lublin, Poland. He moved to Canada in 1990 with his devoted wife and best friend, Marzena, and they made the Okanagan Valley their home.
Ark will be forever remembered by Marzena, his adoring daughters Adrianna (Jacob) and Joanna (Mark), grandson Lucas, and his extended family in Poland. He was predeceased by his parents Halina and Julian Banaszek.
Ark was a hardworking and loving man who prioritized his family and lived to cherish the simple beauty of every day. Ark found joy in bringing projects to life, gaining many self-taught skills along the way and sharing his knowledge with others. Ark worked for School District No. 22 in Vernon for 27 years, where he created many friendships that he valued deeply. He was a pillar of strength in every chapter of his life.
Ark will be deeply missed by his family, friends, and colleagues. We will always carry Ark in our hearts and cherish the beautiful memories we shared together.
A funeral mass will be held on Saturday, December 2, 2023 at 11:00 A.M. at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, 10102 Middleton Drive, Coldstream, BC. Vigil Prayers will be held at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church on Friday, December 1, 2023 at 7:00 P.M.
In lieu of flowers, Ark’s family would appreciate donations being made to the Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Program (BMT) of British Columbia in his memory to help find a cure for a disease that took a great man too early. The Vancouver General Hospital BMT team was instrumental in providing Ark with the most innovative cancer treatments, giving us more precious time with him while he fought Burkitt lymphoma, a rare and highly aggressive blood cancer. Also, please consider donating blood in Ark’s memory – he required a significant amount of transfusions throughout the course of this year and was eternally grateful every time he received this gift.
Arrangements entrusted to
Cypress Funeral & Cremation Services 250-558-0866
Condolences may be expressed to the family by phone or email through Cypress Funeral & Cremation Services:
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Comments: 24
I am so sorry for your loss. Ark was a great guy! I enjoyed his friendly visits to our school and the support that he gave. He was alway there for you when you needed him. His heart was very big and he cared deeply. Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this very difficult time. Jacquie and Andrew Taylor.
Marzeno, Adrianno and Asiu with family.
Please accept my deepest sympathy on this sad event of loosing your dearest husband, father, grandfather and father in law.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Marzena & Family,
I am so very sorry for your loss. I loved working with Ark over the years and will miss him very much. My thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
Corinne
Marzena, Joanna and Adrianna, our sincerest and heartfelt condolences for your loss. Doug and I only had the pleasure of spending time with Ark on a few occasions, but it was clear what a beautiful and gentle spirit he was. We can see in our lovely daughter-in-law Adrianna, what a wonderful and loving family he created with you, Marzena. We are grateful that Lucas was able to spend time with his grandfather and trust that Ark will watch over him just as he will watch over you. May peace be with you. Sent with love, Doug and Carol
Ark was a quiet, humble and brilliant man. He has been instrumental in ensuring success in sd22’s tech infrastructure and initiatives. He had foresight and follow-up and his selfless contributions to the school district will be felt for decades to come. I will miss our chats. Ark’s vision and insight into the bigger picture of life were inspiring. He was so proud of his girls. Our hearts go out to his family.
Marzena, Asia i Adriana
Our deepest condolences. You’re in our thoughts and prayers
It was always a better day when Ark and his big smile came to visit! Ark was a joy to work with and I always left meeting with him in a better mood than before he was there. Ark left a big impression on all of us and will be greatly missed.
My heartfelt condolences to Ark’s family. I worked with Ark when he worked for the Okanagan Regional Library in Kelowna. He was such a kind and helpful person and so patient when called upon for tech help. It is often coworkers that make your job enjoyable, and Ark was one of those. I’m so sorry for your loss.
I am so very sorry for your loss. I have fond memories of Ark all through the years we worked at SD22. I enjoyed our many conversations. He was great to work with and always helpful. My thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time.
Ark has helped to create a beautiful family who will allow his legacy of kindness and happiness to continue to flourish and bless others around them.
We are so sorry for your loss. Ark was an amazing person and had a way of making people around him feel special and cared for. He was especially proud of his family and sang your praises whenever he had an opportunity. I really admired Ark and cherish what I learned from him over the years. He taught me a lot about being an incredibly dedicated father, husband, and colleague. Our thoughts and prayers go out to you during this time.
OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES FOR YOU MARZENA ASIA I ADRIANA.
YOU ARE IN OUR HEARTS AND PRAYERS
Although our short time as neighbours was limited with lockdowns and illness, we so appreciate the kindness Ark extended towards us. We are so sorry for your loss.
Our prayers are with you
Dear Marzena, Ada, Asia and Family. We are so deeply sorry for your loss. Arek was my dear friend and I will always cherish great memories of our times in High school back in Poland as well here in Canada. Our hearts and prayers are with you all. Please accept our deepest condolences.
Rest in peace my dear Friend Arek
Nasi Kochani
Z prawdziwym smutkiem i niedowierzaniem przyjęliśmy informacje o śmierci Arka. Ciężko nam oswoić się z myślą ze już nigdy nie będziemy mogli spotkać Arka i zamienić z nim choć kilka słów .Nie potrafimy znaleźć dla Was słów pocieszenia wobec takiej tragedi jaka Was dotknęła .Mamy nadzieje ,ze wiara oraz wsparcie życzliwych osób pomoże Wam przebrnąć przez ten trudny okres.
Przyjmijcie proszę nasze najszczersze wyrazy kondolencji.
Alek,Krystyna,Paweł Angela ,Jimmy.
Marzena and Family
No words can describe how sorry we are for your loss.
Please accept our heartfelt condolences.
May your happy memories give you peace and comfort during this challenging time.
We are deeply sorry for your loss. Our condolences to the whole family. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
I am so sorry for the loss of such a wonderful man. It was a pleasure to work with Ark through SD22. He would always wave or stop in to chat or say hi and he always helped answer any questions I had. I will be sure to proudly donate blood in Ark’s memory the next time I go.
Zbyszek Alicja Wojcik
Dear Marzena, Ada, Asia and Family,
I am so sorry for your loss. Arek and I have been friends for a long time and I will miss him dearly. I will always treasure the memories we had together. You have my deepest condolences.
Arek, my dear friend, rest in peace.
Zbyszek Alicja Wojcik
Dear Marzena, Ada, Asia and Family,
I am so sorry for your loss. Arek and I have been friends for a long time and I will miss him dearly. I will always treasure the memories we had together. You have my deepest condolences.
Arek, my dear friend, rest in peace.
Ark was the sweetest, smartest most patient man. When he walked into our classroom my partner and I would say “ here comes our boyfriend” and he would break out into that beautiful grin he had.
With the ever changing technology, we needed all the help we could get. He was our saviour.
Such a sad time for anyone who knew Ark but especially his family.
My condolences to all of you.
Family of Ark
So saddened to hear of the death of this great person, Ark. We just heard of his passing and battle with cancer. We send the family our deepest condolences and be assured of our prayers for the repose of his soul and consolation for your whole family. He was the kindest person. He will be missed by all who knew him. May Our Lord Jesus give you comfort and the grace to bear his loss.
Marzena, Adrianna, and Joanna,
Rick and I were deeply saddened about Ark’s passing. Although our two families only got together a few times, conversations were always lively, spirited and entertaining, due in a large part to Ark. Ark and I had a mutual love of dogs. I asked him once why my dog shows my husband way more affection for him than me. I do everything for our dog, I tell him. He looked at me and simply said, “your dog KNOWS you love her, she just has to work a little harder for Rick’s affection.” Everyday when my dog bulldozes past me to get to my husband I always think of Ark’s wise words and it makes me smile. Together, Ark and Marzena raised two intelligent, self-reliant, kind, beautiful, daughters. Rick and I feel very fortunate that our daughter-in-law, Joanna, is a part of our family. Our thoughts are will you at this difficult time. Ark will be greatly missed.
It was a true gift and privilege to get to know Ark and be a part of his care team. His passion for life and grace during incredible challenges shone through very brightly. The love in his family was also striking and clear. My condolences on your loss