BUCHECKER, Marie Josephine

We are saddened to announce that Marie Josephine Buchecker, age 96, passed away in her sleep at Vineyards Residence in Kelowna on December 24, 2025 (Christmas Eve).

Marie was born in Henty, NSW, Australia on May 8, 1929, as the 4th of 6 children. She attended a one room school and on rainy days her father would take Marie and her sister to school on his bike on the country roads. As a young girl, she was less about playing with dolls and more about climbing trees! At Christmas time, she usually received a book, her favourite series being Anne of Green Gables, which gave her an early taste of what rural life was like in Canada.

Before she had turned 10 her family went on a trip to the British Isles which sparked her future years of travelling around the world. At the age of 14 she started working at a local garage doing their books and correspondence which give her an early start in being a responsible contributor to the family. At a young age, she became a member of the Lutheran Church, which lead to a lifelong commitment to her faith.

Her elder sister Betty encouraged her to take up nursing, which became her career in the ensuing years in Australia, England and eventually Canada. In late 1955 (70 years ago) Marie and two other nurses headed for an adventure to Europe to travel and work. You know you are travelling on a tight budget when you learn how to hitchhike and that 4 day old bread is cheaper than 3 day old bread! She was gone on that adventure for 5 years, which included 3 years in Canada. She nursed in Banff, Ashcroft, and Chilliwack before eventually driving as far as Mexico.

On board the Iberia in October 1960 on her way back to Australia via Hong Kong, she met her future husband (Bob) on board on his way back to Broken Hill, NSW after his 6-month world tour. Bob & Marie were married in Broken Hill on April 23, 1962.

They returned to Canada in the spring of 1970 ending up in Prince Rupert where they made many good friends. The next stop for Marie & Bob was Hinton, Alberta, where they stayed for 19 years before retiring to Kelowna in the late 1990s and building themselves a new home in Magic Estates on Knox Mountain. While Bob was working on Kettle Valley Railway restoration, Marie was a dedicated volunteer at KGH for over 20 years. Not only was Marie an avid reader and movie watcher, but she was also a very good golfer and tennis player (part of her Australian heritage). If you ever had some Madura tea at Marie & Bob’s you know what a great maker of desserts she was.

Marie was always a good friend to those people she met, was an accomplished water colour artist, and always stayed in close touch with her extended family in Australia. She often commented on how special her friends were at Missionwood. It was a place that was very special to both her and Bob.

She was a very brave and determined lady who faced many health challenges in the past two decades. She will truly be missed and fondly remembered by all those who had the pleasure of knowing her.