November 6, 1951 - November 10, 2023
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mac Cempel of Roberts Creek, BC on November 10, 2023.
Mac was born in Church Fenton, England, and moved to Canada with his Polish parents, Maria and Mirslaw Cempel. He was the third oldest child of a family of eight children, four boys and four girls, living in Laval, Quebec. From there Mac often made summer visits to PEI. He later moved to BC, working various jobs in mining, logging and construction. It was in Vancouver that he met Diane Arsenault. Their marriage in PEI in 1979 was the first of many road trips across Canada. They moved to Roberts Creek, BC in 1990, where he spent eight plus years building their timber frame home. He worked at the mill in Port Mellon as a scaffolder for a number of years.
Mac was a man of many talents, a jack-of-all trades. He was a meticulous craftsman who paid precise attention to detail in all his creations. Some would say he was a “perfectionist”. Mac was also mechanically inclined and could fix almost anything. He loved old Volvos and motorcycles. His love of restoring vehicles included rebuilding his ’63 Harley Panhead and his Kenworth semi truck, which he then used for his livelihood for several years.
Mac loved being on the road riding his Harley, driving an old Volvo or his beloved old Dodge truck with the Alaskan camper, always with Diane and their dog by his side. Each of their 10 trips across Canada was an adventure of it’s own and created many memories along the way.
Music was a huge interest of Mac’s, as he was always exploring new music and had quite an extensive and diverse collection. There was always music playing when Mac was around.
Mac passed away peacefully at Sechelt Hospital with Diane by his side. Thanks to family members Alan, Janet, Christine, Celeste, Yvonne and Mark. A special thanks to Dr. McCall, all of the healthcare workers, the Hospice Society and friends who supported him. He will be forever missed by Diane and Betty (their black lab).
A celebration of life will be held at a future date.
For those who wish, donations to the ALS or Dementia Society would be appreciated.
