Celebrating The Life of Frank Rioch
Frank Richard Rioch was born to Frank & Nora Rioch in Wadena, SK, on April 20, 1941. He grew up on the family farm a mile west & a mile north of Invermay, where his Grandad David & Grandma Jean homesteaded since 1905. Frank was the second child of seven siblings. He grew up in a musical household as his granddad made and father Frank played fiddles and the family enjoyed jamming with friends & neighbours. Frank attended school in Invermay, SK until grade 10. When Frank’s dad passed the family was forced to move to town. Frank and his brother Jack worked while attending school to provide for the family. They did all the towns dray work that included unloading rail cars, shovelling coal, hauling garbage & chopping wood. Frank received another blow the following year, when he lost his granddad, of whom he was very close to especially since his own father had passed.
Frank met Laverne Joyce Pilkey and they were married on November 4th, 1961. Together they raised a family of four boys and a girl: Todd, Marty Dave, Kim & Liza.
Frank’s passion for construction and running heavy machinery started when he went to work for Prince & Nakrayko. From there he went up to High Level, Alberta where he worked on seismic running a dozer cutting lines. With a young growing family back home, Frank was given an opportunity to work for the RM of Invermay. He bought a D6 9U dozer with a scraper & rome plow which he worked with on the weekends. He worked 26 years for the RM of Invermay and in 1984 he and Laverne partnered with their boys to start their own construction company and Rioch & Sons Construction Ltd was born. Frank’s entire family including his grandchildren, grew up in the dirt world. He was always teaching the values of hard work, lessons in life and having fun.
Frank was a homeschooled welder and he spent many hours working with steel, fabricating many projects. He played and coached hockey. Frank loved the outdoors; hunting & fishing were a few things he loved to do while in nature. Spending time with his family on a boat, in the bush, quad rides or volunteering and watching horse races at the local sports/fairs around the communities. In his later years, he participated in many tractor pulls with his John Deere 730.
Frank was a strong supporter of his local community and always believed in giving back. He was known as the man in black (aka) Johnny Cash. His legacy and voice will be remembered forever by everyone who heard him sing.
Frank was predeceased by his: Granddad David, Grandma Jean and Father Frank, Mother Nora, stepfather Lyle Enright; brothers Roger & Randy; grandsons Ryan, Trevor; granddaughters Jessica, and Jordan as well as many extended family.
Frank leaves to mourn his: wife Laverne; son Todd (Wendy), son Marty (Chantelle), son Dave (Lianne), son Kim and daughter Liza; brother Jack (Eileen) Rioch; sisters Noreen Sowa, Lynette Figland and Lylea Enright; grandchildren and great-grandchildren - (Todd’s family) Jenna (Shayne) Salmond - Aspen & Autumn, and Brette (Rylan) Bye- Remley, Finnley & Bentley;
(Marty’s family) Kristen (Ryan) Last – Tayden, Kasyn, Ryder and Kyle (Thora) Rioch – Ben, Elle, Ava and Frankie Rioch; (Dave’s family) Morgan Rioch and Brianne Rioch; (Kim’s family) Danielle (Jess) Rioch and Carissa (Kandace) Rioch - Ollie Rioch and Chelsea Rioch - Caidence & Lincoln; (Liza’s family) Dustin (Kaeley) Rioch, Katelyn Rioch (Ritchie) - Mallorie and Charlie Rioch (Hannah) as well as many nieces, nephews, extended family, friends and neighbours
Celebration of Life
11:00 a.m.
Saturday, June 29, 2024
Invermay Community Hall
Invermay, SK
Those wishing to send cards
of caring & sympathy may send them to
The Family of Frank Rioch
P.O. Box 206
Invermay, SK S0A 1M0
Donations in memory of
Frank may be made to
Invermay Crossroads Municipal Committee ICMC
Memo: The Invermay Health Centre
P.O. Box 206
Invermay, SK S0A 1M0
The Family of Frank Rioch
P.O. Box 206
Invermay, SK S0A 1M0
