KOBAYASHI, Eleanor Yates

With great love and sadness, we announce that Eleanor “Jimmie” Kobayashi passed away on October 22, 2025.

She is survived by her children Audrey (Mark), Randy (Kim), Neil (Val), Dawnwyn (Mark), and Les (Snow); grandchildren Robert, Lindsay, Michael, David, Hiro, and Tori; great-grandchildren Lev and Felix; along with numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her first husband Andrew Hiroshi Kobayashi and second husband Bill Medvedeff.

Jimmie was born in Calgary in 1927 and in 1930 moved to Red Deer, where she grew up. After World War II, she and her best friend Joyce Bell and Joyce’s sister Jean hitchhiked to the Okanagan, where they found work picking and packing fruit. Jimmie and Joyce married two sons of local orchardists, Hiroshi Kobayashi and Jack Gunn. Their children grew up together, along with other members of a close-knit community of orchardists, including Taijis, Nuyenses, and the huge Kobayashi clan.

Jimmie loved to travel, and never got enough of it, always claiming her bucket was half empty. Over the years she was active in softball, curling, and horseshoes, and a number of community organizations, including Prime Time and Community Policing. Until her mobility was severely curtailed in recent years, she could be seen out and about with friends or volunteering. She loved life, animals, people, and most of all her family.

The family would like to thank the staff at Mission Creek Landing for their compassion and care.