William Oliver Karvinen, 70, passed away Monday, August 29, 2016 at Health Sciences North in Sudbury, Ontario following a brief battle with cancer.
William leaves behind his wife of 45 years, Arja (Karjalainen) Karvinen; his son, Erik Karvinen (Klara Vodicka); his daughter Kristina Karvinen (Sean Daly); his brother Karl Karvinen; his two sisters Linda Karvinen and Helen Tinkis; and his six grandchildren, Katrina, Haley, Matthew, Kiersten, Lauren, and Layna. He was predeceased by his parents Edwin and Saimi Karvinen and brother Ronald Prediger.
Born and raised at his family farm in Wahnapitae, Ontario, William attended Sudbury Mining and Technical School in 1964. After completing high school, William attended Queen’s University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 1968, University of British Columbia with a master’s degree in 1970, and returned to Queen’s University to complete a doctoral degree in geology in 1973. In 1969 he met his wife, Arja, in Finland. They married in Finland in 1971 and spent their years together in Timmins, Wahnapitae, Kingston and Florida.
After graduation, William worked for the Geological Survey of Canada and the Ontario Geological Survey. In 1978, William established his own geological exploration consulting company that involved initiatives in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia, and the United States over a period of nearly 40 years.
William had a passion for farming and the restoration of antique farm equipment. Over the years he acquired and restored several antique tractors, implements, and a saw mill. He was also an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed woodcutting and spending time on his beloved family farm.
Memorial service in the
R.J. Barnard Chapel
Jackson and Barnard Funeral Home
233 Larch St., Sudbury
Saturday, September 3rd, 2016 at 1 p.m.
Cremation at Park Lawn Crematorium.
Memorial donations to the Northern Cancer Foundation would be appreciated by the family.
(Friends may call from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday)