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John BREAKS

August 8, 2012

Breaks, John (Jack) Richard. Jack Breaks passed away on August 8, 2012. He is survived and missed greatly by his three children Jack (Paulette), Glen (Gina) and Shari (Tom) Lyle.

Jack had seven grandchildren, Sarah Breaks, Robert Breaks, Daniel Lyle, Michael Lyle, Andrea Baga, Kristina Breaks and Joanna Breaks. Jack is also survived by his brothers Bill Breaks and George Breaks. He is predeceased by the love of his life, his wife of 61 years, Irene (nee Hassell). He is also predeceased by his sisters Florence Longstaff, Evelyn Longstaff and Hannah Taylor. Jack was born in New Westminster, BC on July 1, 1924 and grew up in the Cloverdale / Hazelmere areas. Jack remembered the economic Depression of the 1930s as a time of great struggle for his family. During this time, the Breaks family focused on agriculture and local small business as a means to survive. Jack served in the Canadian Army during WW2 then returned home to continue work on the family dairy farm in Hazelmere. A small Oliver Cletrack crawler/dozer was purchased to clear part of the farm. This was the beginning of a landclearing and earthmoving business that Jack, Bill and George would operate and grow during the late 1940s, 1950s and1960s until the business was sold in 1965. The brothers were all hard workers and together took on some of the large jobs that were required as our Province developed in those years. More and larger equipment was purchased as bigger jobs were tackled. In the 1950s they did the site preparation for the Empire Stadium, were a Prime Contractor for Bechtel Corporation's Trans Mountain Pipeline over the Rocky Mountains (Burnaby Mountain Terminal), built the cooling line for BC Hydro's Burrard Thermal plant and built many roads in the South Surrey/Whiterock area, from which they were based.

In the 1960s they built sections of the Deas Island Freeway (#99) and portions of the TransCanada Highway #401 between Vancouver and Hope. One of the last large jobs completed by the brothers was the preparation for the Simon Fraser University site, including clearing, excavating building sites, building roads and playing fields, two years of work in all. In 1979 Jack and his wife Irene moved to a beautiful farm in the South Langley / Aldergrove area where they lived for the rest of their lives.It was on this farm that Jack would enjoy countless days working outdoors, gardening, or in the kitchen enjoying a home cooked meal by Irene. Many days were accompanied by children or grandchildren, as he was a loving and wise father and grandfather.

He will be greatly missed.