Obituaries

BRADEN, William (Bill) Warren and Megan Marie

On Sunday, January 21, 2018, the Braden family lost both Bill (father) and Megan (daughter) in a tragic accident.

William "Bill" Warren Braden was born on August 14, 1966 in New Westminster, BC to Barry and Lorraine Braden. He was their third child, and younger brother to Cheryl and Janice. The family resided in Kelowna for most of Bill's life, where he made life-long friends, attended college, and met his wife Shana.

Bill loved the outdoors. Throughout his life, he could be found hunting, hiking, fishing, camping, quadding, skiing, or working in the yard - all with varying degrees of success.
After moving to Campbell River for his role as Deputy Quality Manager at the John Hart Generating Station Replacement Project, Bill added ocean fishing to his list of outdoor loves. He and his fishing buddy Stacy spent countless hours and days on the boat - garnering Bill the nickname "Billigan".

Bill also loved making great meals for friends and family, and was a fantastic cook, always with a beer in one hand. As Shana says, "no one ever had a bad meal at the Braden house."

Most of all, Bill loved his family.

Bill was an amazing husband and dad, and the love he felt for his girls was always present, as he wore that love proudly on his sleeve. He would light up when talking about Shana and the girls and their latest adventure (or misadventure). He was a math whiz and he loved helping the girls with math homework. There was no algebraic equation left unsolved and there was no trinomial safe in his presence. Kenzie says he was a great dad and that he was always there - for every game, every concert, every rise and every fall.

For all of those who knew Bill, they would agree that he was a giant presence in this world. His warmth, humour, wit, kindness and generosity were only part of what made him so loved. He had a huge laugh that made you laugh just to hear it. He was a trivia champ and lead the "Dam Busters" trivia team to many years of victory. He also helped lead the City of Kelowna's baseball team to several years of domination in the local beer league.

He was an amazing role model at home and at work. He had some of the most wonderful and interesting stories, and overall, he just loved life and he did a great job of living it. He was contagious in all of the best ways; being near Bill was always fun, always interesting, and usually left you with a story of your own to tell.

Bill will be missed by so many; his wife of 21 years, Shana; his daughter Kenzie; his dad Barry; step-mom Colleen; his sisters Cheryl and Janice and their families, along with his many life-long friends, extended family and co-workers. They are all sharing in the pain left by Bill's early departure.

Megan Marie Braden was born on July 24, 2002 in Kelowna, BC to parents Bill and Shana and older sister Kenzie. She was loved from the moment she was born and completed the Braden family.

Megan spent her younger years in Nelson, BC, on a rural acreage with no internet or cell phones. She grew up alongside her older sister and best friend Kenzie. They were always together, playing barbies, making up dance routines and playing games in the yard. They would tie a skipping rope to the fence and play for hours. Megan was surrounded by the warmth of her family, good-humour, and a menagerie of friends, animals and pets.

From the get-go, Bill and Shana imparted their love of the outdoors into both of their girls and, thanks to this, Megan loved to be outside. She loved to quad, toboggan and play badminton. She loved to swim - in the pond, in the pool, and in the neighbourhood river. She tried sports - gymnastics, soccer, downhill skiing and snowboarding - and even got to claim the "most improved" trophy at one point in soccer. But she always went back to art, music and nature, which she loved most of all.

Megan was beautiful inside and out. She had a warm, sweet, generous spirit. She loved animals - any size, kind, shape or age. She was looking forward to getting her drivers licence this summer - not only so she could go cruising with friends, but so that she could finally go and volunteer at the local SPCA.

She was very smart, often helping her friends with homework, and in keeping with the Braden generosity, taking the time to teach them how to do it. She was funny, and like her dad, had a dry, quick, wit. Not many got to experience that wit, but for those who did, they will not forget it.

She inherited her dad's adventurous and brave heart. She was always trying to talk Kenzie into trying new things like parasailing in Mexico (Megan was screaming to go higher; Kenzie was screaming about the lack of back-up safety functions) or riding the largest and fastest rides at Disneyworld (Megan wanted to ride everything; Kenzie preferred the Tea Cup ride). She was a girl who was learning to march to the beat of her own drum.

Megan had taken up the guitar and was a talented musician and singer. She loved all genres of music and knew all the words, to all the songs. In the car, in her room, in the shower - Megan was always singing. And she always nailed the high notes.
Like most creative people, her creativity extended into numerous mediums. She didn't just have a knack and a passion for music, she also had exceptional skill for aesthetics and all things fashion and couture. Megan had a great sense of style and changed things up regularly. Her two constants were her signature floppy bun and her collection of hoodies - but don't let that fool you - she always had fabulous nails, brows and immaculate make-up. She had an affinity for mixing up beauty concoctions and asking her mom and sister to give them a try. She had plans to launch a career in make-up artistry and aesthetics.

Megan may have had a country-girl start, but her creative talent and adventurous spirit was leading her to dream of city life and travelling to places like LA, London and Paris. Knowing Megan and her personal determination, she would have fulfilled her dreams and her life would have been amazing.

She was a young lady coming into her own. She was in grade 10 and just starting to enjoy everything that high school life had to offer - parties, exams, new friends and new opportunities.

Megan is missed by so many people. She will be forever missed by her mom Shana; her sister Kenzie; her grandad and granny; her grandma Jo-Ann; her grandpa Mike and countless aunts, uncles, cousins, family and friends.

We take comfort in knowing that Bill and Megan are together, waiting patiently for the rest of the family to eventually join them.

A public celebration of Bill and Megan's lives was held in Campbell River on February 10. The family would like to thank everyone who attended, shared stories and helped to honour Bill and Megan's memory.

They say that the company you keep is a true reflection of who you are. The number and quality of friends and family left behind are a true measure and showing of how amazing Bill and Megan were.

Bill and Megan, thank you for a beautiful life.

The Braden Family

Condolence Messages

Dec 10, 2019
Shana and Kenzie,

I just heard about the loss of Bill and Megan and wanted to let you know that we are grieving right along side of you both. Wow such a great memory of your wedding in the rain at Bertram Creek.

Ange, Rick, Maggie, Max Becker - Kelowna BC
Mar 11, 2018
My heart has been aching since that tragic Sunday when I first heard about your loss. What a beautiful obituary honouring the two of them. It sounds like they were both amazing people who were loved very much. Mona
Mar 10, 2018
We ate a lot of Ice cream together at the Mission Dairy Queen, after a ballgame, while the Coaches and parents drank beer at Luigis. Bill was just a good guy, with a competitive spirit. So sorry for the loss of two great Bradens..

Scott MacDonald
Mar 09, 2018
To the Braden Family,

I wanted to extend my sincerest condolences for your incredible losses. We hope that you can find some comfort in all that surround and support you. Cheryl and Janice, I hope you know that the Braden siblings were such a bright light as students and friends going to OKM.

Carla Cruesemann Paleck

Andrea Cruesemann Paleck
Mar 08, 2018
It was a truly sad day when I read of Bill's and his daughter's tragic accident. Bill was a student in a group who I taught Math from grade 8 through 12 (happy to read that the Math skills were passed on). Bill was highly regarded by his peers largely because of his unconditional positive regard for his classmates and his wonderful sense of humor. I would like to offer my most sincere condolences to his "big sisters" Cheryl and Janice and to his wife and daughter.

Jim Jacques
Mar 08, 2018
Shana and Kenzie, such a heart-warming tribute to Bill and Megan. We are deeply saddened by your unimaginable loss. May all your memories embrace you and give you strength. Always remember how much you are loved.

Myk & Lisa Detmers
Mar 08, 2018
Hi Shana Banana,

So very sad to hear of the unfortunate loss of your loved ones. Keep their memories close to your heart.

Sincerely, Kacy (Hrycan) Renneberg
Mar 08, 2018
This is so incredibly sad. I remember Bill as a student at OKM and the personality described here was very much a part of who he was as a teen growing into a man. He had the most mischievous twinkle in his eyes and an easy warmth in his heart. I know the family has wonderful memories...may they comfort you all.

Mickey Patryluk