December 11, 1928 – April 28, 2023
In loving memory ~
Frank Baynes, beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend passed into the presence of his Lord on April 28, 2023. He is survived by his children Valorie (Owen), Charlotte, Donna (Rob), Kenneth (Qian) and Cynthia (Gary), 12 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Frank was predeceased by his wife, Kay in 2009.
Born and raised in north-central Saskatchewan, Frank grew up on a farm with his parents, James and Clara, 4 brothers and 1 sister. They were hard but happy times; Dad often spoke of them as if a spartan upbringing in a harsh climate was a special gift granted only to the fortunate few. After graduating at age 17 he enrolled in teachers’ training and was soon teaching in one-room prairie schoolhouses. In 1949 he enrolled at Sharon Bible School (North Battleford) where he met Kathleen (Kay) Kerr. They married in January 1952 and moved to Cranbrook in 1956 after Dad accepted a teaching position at MBSS. He later transitioned to real estate sales and land development; his profession for over 50 years first at Cranbrook Agencies then Baynes Realty and finally at Heritage Agencies.
In his 30s he became interested in collecting and polishing rocks. For the rest of his life, no matter where he travelled, he hunted for the beautiful treasures that God had hidden in the sand, muck, dirt and at the bottom of icy creeks. Our father could turn a homely-looking rock into a beautiful thing and then use it as the basis of a short sermon on the lavishness of Creation and the beauty within each of us. For Frank, everything pointed to the goodness and majesty of God.
In the 1970s Dad took up flying and enjoyed many flights over the Rockies to visit family in Saskatchewan and to attend church conferences as far away as Minnesota.
Frank and Kay’s home was a magnet for visitors from near and far. They often arrived with no advance notice but always to a warm welcome and “Praise the Lord”. At one point their neighbours suggested they increase their rates so as to discourage so many visitors. They travelled widely in the service of the gospel – New Zealand, Australia, Africa, the Philippines, Peru, Columbia, and Nicaragua – using their skills to help at a variety of missions and orphanages. And to escape Cranbrook winters they would head south visiting friends, old and new, in every state west of the Continental Divide.
Frank left Cranbrook in 2015 to live closer to his children who had all migrated west. He spent his final years in Abbotsford close to his daughter, Cynthia, who lovingly cared for him as Parkinson’s gradually claimed his strength and mobility.
His family and his faith were the bedrock on which his life was built. We are grateful he was granted a long life; we had the love, encouragement and support of our energetic and fun-loving father for many decades and his example of how to walk with God.
We are grateful to the staff at Pavilion, Menno Place, to the wonderful homecare workers provided by Fraser Health who provided such thorough care in his final years and to those at Holmberg House where he spent his final weeks.Obituary