Obituary for Mr. Mika Stefanus Poyhola
MIKA POYHOLA
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Mika Stefanus Poyhola, age 26
years on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Mika was born on November 3, 1995 in Port Arthur at the General Hospital. He was a true country boy,
growing up in Lappe. He attended Gorham and Ware Public School and Hammarskjold High School.
Mika was definitely an outdoors man from an early age he was always outside building forts, riding his
bike, quad, ski-doo, going on adventures. He loved nature, fishing/hunting, and camping and spending
time with family at the Graham Lake camp and with his grandmother, Auli and Jim (Pops) at Waller
Lake, also with his father and friends at Nelson Lake and at his mummu’s camp at Howcum Lake.
He loved having saunas, cooking over an open fire, smoking fish, having fires and his dogs.
Mika always had music playing. He would find new songs and wanted us to listen to the words as
he sang along. He had a competitive spirit and was involved in many team sports from a young age.
He played hockey, basketball, soccer. He also loved golfing and entered many tournaments and fish
derbies. Following graduation from High School, Mika began working along side his father at BTG
Contracting as a Heavy Equipment Operator. He was a proud operator and a very hard worker. He
definitely had that Finnish “Sisu”. Most recently, he was working for Fournier Fils at the gold mine in
Geraldton, a job that he was excited about and very much enjoyed.
Mika’s warm smile was a window into his gentle nature and fun loving personality. Mika loved
unconditionally and will be sadly missed by his mother, Liisa (Dan), father, Kevin (JoAnne), his
mummu, Sirkka and Pappa, Reijo, grandmother, Auli, aunts and uncles Margit, Erica (Shawn) Crowley,
Markku, Tapani (Mary), Gary, special cousins, Jay, Miah, Brooke, Reese, Denelle, Kate, Owen, and
Peyton, stepfamily included, Alyshia (Quan), Seth (Claire), Dwayne (Rebecca) Dawn, Sandra (Tucker)
and Jamie, Eunice (Kurt), Chelsea, Christy, Breyland, and many other relatives and friends near and far
in Finland.
Mika’s first love, and longtime girlfriend, Sarah Jalava, and special friend, Robyn Parhiala, as well as
his friends since kindergarten (The Musketeers), Curtis, Steven, and Collin,
all held a special place in Mika’s heart.
Predeceased by his great-grandmother, Vieno Telinkangas, grandparents, Eeva and Harold Poyhola,
Pappa, Unto Silvasti, Pops, Jim Freeman and Uncle Hal.
A celebration of Mika’s life will be held on July 23, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the North McIntyre Centre,
2051 Government Rd. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Simpler Times Cremation Centre, 575
Central Avenue, Thunder Bay. If friends so desire, donation may be made to any Animal Shelter.
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the unexpected passing of Mika Stefanus Poyhola, age 26
years on Wednesday, July 6, 2022 in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
Mika was born on November 3, 1995 in Port Arthur at the General Hospital. He was a true country boy,
growing up in Lappe. He attended Gorham and Ware Public School and Hammarskjold High School.
Mika was definitely an outdoors man from an early age he was always outside building forts, riding his
bike, quad, ski-doo, going on adventures. He loved nature, fishing/hunting, and camping and spending
time with family at the Graham Lake camp and with his grandmother, Auli and Jim (Pops) at Waller
Lake, also with his father and friends at Nelson Lake and at his mummu’s camp at Howcum Lake.
He loved having saunas, cooking over an open fire, smoking fish, having fires and his dogs.
Mika always had music playing. He would find new songs and wanted us to listen to the words as
he sang along. He had a competitive spirit and was involved in many team sports from a young age.
He played hockey, basketball, soccer. He also loved golfing and entered many tournaments and fish
derbies. Following graduation from High School, Mika began working along side his father at BTG
Contracting as a Heavy Equipment Operator. He was a proud operator and a very hard worker. He
definitely had that Finnish “Sisu”. Most recently, he was working for Fournier Fils at the gold mine in
Geraldton, a job that he was excited about and very much enjoyed.
Mika’s warm smile was a window into his gentle nature and fun loving personality. Mika loved
unconditionally and will be sadly missed by his mother, Liisa (Dan), father, Kevin (JoAnne), his
mummu, Sirkka and Pappa, Reijo, grandmother, Auli, aunts and uncles Margit, Erica (Shawn) Crowley,
Markku, Tapani (Mary), Gary, special cousins, Jay, Miah, Brooke, Reese, Denelle, Kate, Owen, and
Peyton, stepfamily included, Alyshia (Quan), Seth (Claire), Dwayne (Rebecca) Dawn, Sandra (Tucker)
and Jamie, Eunice (Kurt), Chelsea, Christy, Breyland, and many other relatives and friends near and far
in Finland.
Mika’s first love, and longtime girlfriend, Sarah Jalava, and special friend, Robyn Parhiala, as well as
his friends since kindergarten (The Musketeers), Curtis, Steven, and Collin,
all held a special place in Mika’s heart.
Predeceased by his great-grandmother, Vieno Telinkangas, grandparents, Eeva and Harold Poyhola,
Pappa, Unto Silvasti, Pops, Jim Freeman and Uncle Hal.
A celebration of Mika’s life will be held on July 23, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at the North McIntyre Centre,
2051 Government Rd. Arrangements have been entrusted to the Simpler Times Cremation Centre, 575
Central Avenue, Thunder Bay. If friends so desire, donation may be made to any Animal Shelter.