Kauko Viitala

Mr. Kauko Einar Viitala passed away peacefully on Saturday, December 24 at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. Kauko was born on February 15, 1931 to Kalle and Anni Viitala. Kauko was a very kind, gentle man with a great sense of humor. He was a very loving husband to wife Jennie and a strong, reliable father to his 2 sons David and Peter. He had a hard-working ethic and attitude and his Finnish cultural background was quite prominent from his strong Finnish upbringing of his parents, to his fluent Finnish speaking, and his love for his many Finnish relatives, and of course saunas.

Kauko had a great love for the outdoors; he began his career as a diesel mechanic in one of the rural logging cabins at camp #118, but spent most of his working days building his own houses in the City of Thunder Bay and rurally at Wartman Lake as the Construction Supervisor. He had 2 fine assistant carpenters, his son David Viitala and Alen Olsen.

Kauko met the love of his life Jennie and they formed a great partnership when they married on October 3, 1958. Jennie also had a hard-working ethic as she worked as a full time nurse at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit for 30 years, plus part time as a real estate salesperson: this contributed to Kauko’s house building career.

Kauko especially loved being outdoors, with the forest, lakes and wild animals, and he had a great passion for fishing pike and bass and hunting, especially moose. Many fun-filled summers were spent with his wife Jennie and children Peter and David, mother Anni (Moomu), Uncle Kauko, Uncle Joe on Wartman lake swimming, fishing, having saunas, golfing, laughing, eating meals together, cutting the grass (ugh). Kauko also had a passion for teaching and watching his 2 sons play hockey, but also watching sports and faithfully following his Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey team and the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball team.

God and Jesus, and the church were a very important part of Kauko and Jennie’s lives. It all started at Intola Baptist Church, then it proceeded to over 20 years in their later years at Faith City Church. Kauko was a Christian man and his faith and family determined his ways and outlook on life. Many great friendships were developed over the years and Kauko and Jennie served God in their own unique ways in the church and Thunder Bay community.

Kauko will be dearly missed by his immediate family: wife Jennie, sons Peter and David, sister Aino Neimi (predeceased Alfred), aunt Diane Rantala (predeceased Kauko), brother-in-law Jack Nemec (predeceased Helen), his cousin Irmeli Siivonen (predeceased Eiro), nephews and nieces Debbie Saunders (David Saunders), Wendy Traintinger (David Traintinger), Ronald Rantala (Mary-Louise Rantala), Torsti Landvik, (nieces and nephews in-law) Stanley Nemec, Jackie Nemec (Larry Bakk), Susan Nemec and Angela Rupert.

Kauko’s family will be having a Celebration of Life funeral service at 11:00 am on Friday, December 30, 2022 in the Chapel of Harbourview Funeral Centre, 499 North Cumberland Street, officiated by Pastor Roma Fisher. This will be followed by a reception downstairs and by his interment at Riverside Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, if friends so desire donations may be made to Faith City Church.