There were some notable deaths in 2023 in Chilliwack.
Hedy Sutulov, Chilliwack’s oldest known resident, passed away on Jan. 6 at the age of 108. And 97-year-old Bernard ‘Bernie’ McNicholl, Chilliwack’s last legion member who fought in the Second World War, died at Chilliwack General Hospital on July 17.
Sutulov was born in Vienna, Austria on Aug. 18, 1914 and worked for decades as an X-ray technician, first in Vienna and then in Quebec where she was brought in 1951 by the International Refugee Organization.
READ MORE: Chilliwack’s oldest known resident, Hedy Sutulov, dies at 108
She moved to Chilliwack more than 40 years ago because the mountains reminded her of home. She embraced the Canadian mountains like her own.
Sutulov hiked to the top of Mt. Cheam at age 85 and went up again (though not to the summit) at the age of 90. She continued to hike until she was 95.
And to access those mountains? She owned a Jeep, naturally. She had it for 22 years before a thief stole it when she was 101.
Nephew Paul Atkinson described his Aunt Hedy as “upbeat, resilient and content” and said she was always wanting to learn and try new things.
Veteran Bernie McNicholl also had a passion for life and also for teaching youth.
In 1942, when he was 16, he lied about his age so he could join the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).
READ MORE: Remembering last Chilliwack legion member who fought in Second World War
He served in the Canadian Army from 1946 to 1982, first with the Royal Montreal Regiment, then in 1948 with the Royal Canadian Armour Corps. He deployed for a year to Egypt in 1957 during the Suez Canel Crisis, and served in Germany during the Cold War.
“My dad entered combat at age 18 in December 1944 and went on to complete over 30 operations,” son Shawn said. “Dad was age 19 on VE Day and was promoted to WO2 (warrant officer class two). His crew then proceeded to London where they received their tour of operation wings.”
Shawn said his father was a top mechanic, good instructor, and repaired everything around the house. He was also a fantastic dancer, a good boxer and had a great sense of humour.
“There was nothing he couldn’t do,” Shawn said.
He added that possibly his father’s biggest contribution wasn’t his service in conflicts, but his contribution to youth. Bernie spent decades as a cadet officer. He proved to be a great mentor and influence for army, navy and air cadets under his leadership, as many of them went on to become successful citizens.
