On March 9, 2020, Kirk Fredrick Karasin (b. 1977) died at home in Vancouver, BC, of sudden heart failure. He was 42.

Born in Regina, SK, to Anne and Allan Karasin, Kirk grew up in a loving family with his sister Megann. While studying at the University of Alberta in 1997, he met his wife Rochelle, the love of his life. She and Kirk were married in Edmonton in 2006, and settled in Vancouver, where they raised their two boys, Dashiell (11) and Freddie (6), making many happy memories on the beaches and ski slopes.

Kirk left us too soon but his time here was well spent, and he is remembered and loved by many. It was our desire to create somewhere we could join to remember him, and to preserve his memory.

If you are here, it is because Kirk welcomed you into his life. Kirk loved a good gathering of family and friends. He wasn’t a social butterfly, but he would cover the room, making everyone in it feel honoured and special for being there. He had a way of paying a compliment that always rang true, always made you feel better, always made you feel like an intimate and welcome part of his world. Nothing beat a really big Kirk bearhug.

Take a moment to remember the time Kirk made for each of us, to welcome us. We hope you can hold onto the memory of that embrace. His welcome is in each of us, and it extends as well in the love of his family. We thank each of you for being here.

What words could possibly serve to immortalize such a wonderful, loving son, brother, husband, father and friend? His absence will be felt in a deep and lasting way. There is more to Kirk’s story than any one person alone could tell, and the more we share it the better we can preserve his memory. This is a place for you to come, to remember and to share as well.

So please – join us here in celebrating his presence in our lives, and together let’s keep his spirit alive.