Stephen Faherty

Stephen Faherty was born August 5, 1933, in Letterfrack, Galway, Ireland; the eldest child of Charles and Agnes Faherty.  Growing up during the Depression and the Second World War was not easy on a family of eight on a small rural farm.  The family lost both their parents within a short time span.   The five boys worked hard together to support each other and their youngest sister Bridget who they eventually put in Catholic Boarding School under the watchful eyes of the Nuns.  In the mid 50’s Steve moved to England to find work boarding with the McCaffery’s.  In March of 1957 Steve and friends boarded the TSS Neptunia for work in Canada.  The plan was to meet up with friends in Vancouver, work and save money to head to a sheep farm in Argentina.  Steve was working for the Water and Sewer Division of the City of Vancouver when that plan quickly changed - he met Lorraine at a Catholic Youth Organization dance right before her High School Graduation in 1959, and they wed on August 19, 1961.  Stephen and Lorraine welcomed five children over the next nine years. 

In 1975, Lorraine’s mother Hope convinced the family to move north to Fort Nelson BC as she wanted to retire.  North they went, and Steve became the face of Fort Nelson Gas (now Fortis).  He was the one who welcomed you to town and setup your account, checked your meter every month, and sometimes called to let you know if the bill wasn’t paid soon, you’d be shut off.  Everyone who met Steve will remember his smile and sense of humor.  He was a man devoted to his faith, his church group, his family and his garden.  After retiring from Fortis at 65, he spent four years with the Commissionaires “babysitting” the local patrons who showed up in jail during evenings and weekends.  Stephen and Lorraine retired to Chase, BC in 2003, where they quickly got involved in the church and enjoying the beauty of the Shuswap.

August 10th started like every other Sunday with Steve heading to church in Blind Bay, he had the company of his oldest daughter Bridget who was visiting from Calgary to celebrate their birthdays.  Little did we know that God wouldn’t have the patience for them to arrive at Church to start prayers – Steve lost consciousness from a medical incident and drove into oncoming traffic.  Despite the devoted, noble efforts of many, Steve and Bridget were unable to survive their injuries.

Steve was predeceased by his parents Charles and Agnes; siblings: Peter, Festy, Patrick, Charlie, and Bridget, daughter Maeve Anne, and his beloved wife Lorraine.  He leaves to mourn his children Patrick, Linnea, Sean (Jacky); grand-children Winter (Gary), Robert (Amanda), Kiera (Adlin), Amanda, Hope (Thomas), Arielle (Lorne) and Stephen James; great grand children Patricia, Brianne, Brooklynn, McKayla, Trevor, Marissa Lorraine, Asher and Evelyn; great great grandson Joseph; and extended family in Canada, Ireland, England and Wales.

Services will be held at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Fort Nelson BC on Saturday August 23, 2025 at 1pm and Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Blind Bay, BC Saturday August 30, 2025 11am.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any Hospice, Chalice Canada, or the charity of your choice.

Our family is eternally grateful to Sheri Lysons and the other Good Samaritans who stopped to help, Police, Fire, the Paramedics from 307, 332, 370 and KDOC, the Emergency and ICU staff at Royal Inland Hospital, and Father Fred Weisbeck.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to the driver of the other vehicle.