BACH, Daniel

March 1, 1932 — March 18, 2023

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Daniel Bach at the age of 91 at Central Okanagan Hospice House in Kelowna.

Dan was predeceased by his wife Rita in 2013; his son Ken in 2022; and his brother Jim. Dan is survived by his second wife Jean; brother Don (Bonnie); sons Doug, Chris (Borana), and Tom; daughter-in-law Debbie; grandchildren Nicole (Cory), Lindsay (Greg), Clayton (Kitta), and Justin; and great-granddaughter Mateya.

Dan was born in Rutland, BC, long before it was part of Kelowna. He was industrious even as a child, helping his Dad with farming and janitorial work at the local schools. He was in the first graduating class of the new Rutland High school, now Rutland Middle School. His career started with trucking, then plumbing and gas-fitting, and then 35 years with School District 23 doing plumbing, supervision, heating, and air conditioning.

Dan was always a farmer at heart, starting with 20 acres on Hartman Road, which is now the Rutland Sports fields, then acquiring his 160 acre dream farm in Lumby.  The Lumby farm was like a relic from the 1890s, with ditch irrigation, crumbling log barns, sheds, farmhouses, and even a complete blacksmith shop. Dan and family set about modernizing the farm with new irrigation, barns and machine shops, and finally, a new log cabin. As modern as the farm became, Dan’s taste in tractors was the opposite. At one point, he had 14 antique tractors, all restored and in running condition.

With a lifelong love of motorcycles, Dan enjoyed the wind in his face, and he rode and raced motorcycles in his teenage years. The motorcycle hobby was put on hold when marriage and the kids came along, but he always managed to have one or two around for “farm purposes”. He kept a 1919 Harley hidden under the stairs in the house for decades. After he retired, he bought a new street bike, and then a succession of increasingly smaller bikes to ride to the farm and back. He kept riding until he was over 85.

Dan and Rita travelled all over BC, and across Canada in a tiny camper, and over the years, they visited nearly every town and ghost town in BC. Dan’s most recent trip was with Jean, on a cruise to Alaska.

Anyone who encountered Dan over the years came away with a smile, and we hope that is how he will be remembered.

Special thanks to Doctor Vorster, and the staff at Hospice House for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, consider donating to the Central Okanagan Kelowna Hospice House.

A private family memorial service has been held.

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