A West Kelowna businessman who helped change the community has passed away at the age of 93.
Ross Gorman was one of the two brothers to open Gorman Bro. Lumber in West Kelowna in the 1950s. But on Friday he passed away after suffering a stroke, which ended his 20 year battle with Parkinson’s disease. His son Ron Gorman says his dad was always at the Mill, even up until the day he passed away, he was there making sure things were running smoothly.
“He has lived through so many changes and really all these events make a person,” said Gorman. “This area was just farming and he grew up here and went to school in Glenrosa. He and his brother went back to farming and one year it was so cold it froze their crop and killed all their trees. So they started to build fruit boxes from pieces of lumber from small mills in the area.”
From there the family run operation grew and the two brothers with numerous employees managed to turn it into the business it is today. Gorman says that despite his age Ross was at the mill every day making sure everyone was getting the full value out of all the lumber.
Gorman’s Mill employs 350 people and supports many charities in the community including the local food banks, the women’s shelter and the United Way.
“There is no limit to the amount that we should support the community,” Gorman remembers his dad saying. “He was open to every cause that came along and advocated for one after another.”
A funeral service will be held on Saturday at the Trinity Baptist Church in Kelowna and members of the public are welcome to attend.
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