Westbank pioneer Geoff Paynter dies after brief illness

WEST KELOWNA – Family and friends of Geoff Paynter are mourning the loss of the Westbank man after a brief illness.

The Paynter family pioneered in the Westbank area and Geoff, 69, had farming in his blood, first working the hayfields along Shannon Lake Road when just a boy and later on, the family farm, according to his obituary.

Geoff worked with the local irrigation district and the Central Okanagan Regional District in the 1970s and again in the 1990s.

Paynter retired from the family business in 1990 quitting not to put his feet up but pursue other opportunities, including logging and real estate development.

Geoff is survived by Marci, his wife of 33 years and the five Paynter children, Chandra, Travis, Nigel, Brent and Pete with which Geoff had close relationships.

A celebration of Geoff’s life will be held on Saturday, Sept. 3, 2016 at 3 p.m at Emmanuel Church, 2600 Hebert Road, West Kelowna, BC. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Plan Okanagan, 1650 Bernard Ave., Kelowna, BC V1Y 6R9 or Kelowna Hospice House, 2035 Ethel Street, Kelowna, BC, V1Y 2Z6.


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John McDonald

John McDonald

John began life as a journalist through the Other Press, the independent student newspaper for Douglas College in New Westminster. The fluid nature of student journalism meant he was soon running the place, learning on the fly how to publish a newspaper.

It wasn’t until he moved to Kelowna he broke into the mainstream media, working for Okanagan Sunday, then the Kelowna Daily Courier and Okanagan Saturday doing news graphics and page layout. He carried on with the Kelowna Capital News, covering health and education while also working on special projects, including the design and launch of a mass market daily newspaper. After 12 years there, John rejoined the Kelowna Daily Courier as editor of the Westside Weekly, directing news coverage as the Westside became West Kelowna.

But digital media beckoned and John joined Kelowna.com as assistant editor and reporter, riding the start-up as it at first soared then went down in flames. Now John is turning dirt as city hall reporter for iNFOnews.ca where he brings his long experience to bear on the civic issues of the day.

If you have a story you think people should know about, email John at jmcdonald@infonews.ca