WILLIAM KRISTIAN JOHANESON (KIT)(FITKIT)

Kit was born in June of 1944 in Eston, Saskatchewan, and passed away on January 20, 2025 in Coldstream, BC after a short illness. Kit was loving husband to Lynne (Henderson) of 58 years. They attended the University of Victoria together and married in Victoria, BC in 1966.

In 1969 they welcomed their son Darin Kristian. Kristin Lynne was born in 1972.  In 1977 the family took a big leap and moved to Vernon, BC to start a luggage and leather goods store, Bags’n All, and the business eventually grew to four stores. Besides long hours working, Kit was able to begin a long-standing family tradition of skiing, camping, and swimming. Kit came from a water polo background and easily transitioned to the Vernon Masters’ Swim Club. More recently, Kit loved his ski days with “the old boys”.

Kit became an accomplished triathlete, starting with sprint distance races in Vernon with his Kal RATS club, which he did many times, and then in other cities participating in Olympic distance triathlons. He was passionate about the training itself, and at the age of 49 Kit completed his first Ironman Canada race in Penticton. In 2005 he swam, biked and ran the World Ironman Championships in Kona, Hawaii, with his family to cheer him to success.

Kit loved snowshoeing and was an instigator of the trail system at Silver Star, lighting his way after dark with his headlamp. He enjoyed all the winter sports.

Kit was known as a caring, positive, supportive and generous man. He frequently donated funds and store stock to grad classes, athletic events and Winter Carnival events.  He loved to lend a hand building trails for running races. He helped set up and volunteer at aid stations along the race routes, among many other jobs he took on. He was always among the last volunteers to leave the site.

Kit leaves to mourn, but also to rejoice in his legacy, his beloved wife Lynne, his loving son Darin, and daughter-in-law Jenny, and grandchildren Jasmine Howard, and her husband Brian, and Evan, all of Vernon.  He also leaves to mourn his daughter Kristin, and her husband Don Halsey, and grandchildren Derian, and Dania and Dania’s husband, Sam Neville, all of Calgary and Sylvan Lake Alberta.

Kit was predeceased by his brother, John (March 18,1940 – August 8, 2018) and John’s wife Marlene, and leaves their daughters Melissa Rice and Angelique and their families. He is also survived by his loving sister Mary Helen Littleton and her husband Ellery, and their children Jason, and his son Adam, and Lauren and her partner Alvaro Claver, and daughter Sara. Kit has many cousins throughout Canada and Norway where he visited in recent years with Darin and Kristin.

He loved to snorkel and scuba dive in the warm waters off Mexico, Hawaii, the Caribbean, and Fiji. Kit was blessed with many great friends in Vernon and throughout Canada. He will be missed!

His family and many friends gathered on January 25th in Vernon to share love, grief and many stories of Fit Kit. Kit has left a huge hole in our hearts.

 

 

Funeral Arrangements have been entrusted to Pleasant Valley Funeral Home,

Phone: 250-542-4333

Condolences may be offered at www.pleasantvalleyfh.com