Cailen Vilness
Cailen Vilness...
Cailen was a prince of a man, and our family is devastated by the loss of our beloved son, boyfriend, brother, nephew, and grandson. He lived life to the fullest and enjoyed spending as much time as possible with his family, including his parents Chris (stepmom Hayley) and Danielle, girlfriend Jaydean whom he was about to propose to, brothers Layne and Declan, sisters Kharis, Ana, and Madelyn, his nephew Jett, his niece Maicey, his grandparents Trudy & Kim Vilness, Jill & Marv Fehr, many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, and last but not least his fur baby Ellie.
Only 23, he had his whole life ahead of him and was getting ready to spend the rest of his life with the woman of his dreams. His absence has left an indelible mark on those he left behind, but we find comfort knowing he is with Jesus, his Papa, and Uncle Ryan.
Born and raised in Kitimat, BC. Cailen moved to Kelowna, BC, in 2016 to be closer to his mom and for a short stint at Okanagan College before pursuing a career in construction.
Cailen was a kind, caring, and very loyal individual. His smile and personality were contagious. He was very outgoing and always made time for his friends and family.
He enjoyed weightlifting, boxing, and snowboarding. He loved his car. But most importantly, he was known for the love he spread to those around him.
Cailen will be remembered as a loving and caring man with a genuine heart of gold.
Message from Cailen's family
Cailen was extremely caring, loving … there's not a lot of pictures that you won't see Cailen smiling. He enjoyed spending time with his family … even if he wasn't as qualified as he sometimes thought, he figured that there was no task that he couldn't take on and be successful.
He was a really good kid. Cailen cared for people. He was loving, understanding, and he wore his heart on his sleeve. If you knew Cailen, you knew he had a heart of gold. His absence has left an intelligible mark on those he left behind.
Help us continue to Rise
As a publicly funded and donation-led non-profit initiative, every effort was made to ensure the maximum amount of dollars went directly to support the actual construction of the gardens. However, to keep the site in the same condition it was at the time of unveiling and to keep the memorial's legacy alive, constant resources need to be allocated to its ongoing maintenance.
Further, the Rise Memorial Foundation needs to retain some contingency monies to fund replacement costs in the unfortunate event of vandalism or damage. Lastly, future projects and our digital assets, like this website, come with a cost.
If you want to contribute to the Rise Memorial Foundation’s endowment, please get in touch with the Board of Directors at contact@risememorial.com.