ALEX ZAGOZEWSKI

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ALEX ZAGOZEWSKI June 20, 1927 September 16, 2006 It is with heavy hearts we announce the passing of our dear husband, father and Afi, September 16, 2006 in the arms of his beloved wife, Iris and surrounded by his family that he loved so dearly. Dad was born in Riverton on June 20, 1927 and was the eldest son of Mike and Helen Zagozewski. On June 26, 1954 he married the love of his life, Iris and together they created a home and raised their family. Alex will be sadly missed by Iris and by his children Kent (Janice), Jimmy (Sharon), Michelle (Craig) and Janine (Kris). His grandchildren Ryan, Sarah, Lawson, Jamie, Matthew, Eric, Brittany, Brady and Hilary had a very special bond with their Afi and they are blessed with precious memories of him. Dad will also be missed by his sister-in-law Leslee; brother-in-law Jonas (Elba); brothers Ted (Eileen) and Barry (Marlene) and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Mike and Helen, his brothers Philip and Joseph, his sister Josephine and his in-laws Gisli and Asta Gislason. Everyone who knew dad realized how much he loved to work. When he was young he worked with his father, Mike, in the blacksmith shop. In 1953 he began his long career in boat building with Riverton Boat Works and he eventually became a partner in the company. He was instrumental in building large vessels such as the Namao, MB ferries, the Lady Selkirk, the H.M. Wilson and the Keystone. Also many of the whitefish boats on Lake Winnipeg and in Hay River, were the result of dad's hard work. Dad was very respected in the boat building industry and his knowledge and expertise was proudly passed down to his sons. In 1987 Dad co founded Zag Fab Boats and worked alongside Jimmy and Kent and recently his grandsons, Matthew and Ryan. He looked forward to going to work and even as his health deteriorated he continued to go to the shop everyday. Last week he was at the shop inspecting the ferry they are currently building. Alex was a founding member of the Riverton Elks Lodge #530 where he remained an active member for over 30 years. He was well known for his amazing memory of the spoken rituals and it was very moving to hear him recite the Legend of the Two Elks. During his younger days Dad was an avid hockey player until he had to hang up his skates after breaking his leg. His love for hockey continued and he enjoyed watching his grandchildren play. Today, Brady is very proud to wear his Afi's #11. Dad's favorite pastime was spending time with mom. He loved to take her for long car rides and they also spent hours working together in their beautiful yard. His life revolved around mom and he was always thinking of her. Every time he went to Winnipeg he returned with a small gift for her and occasionally, the gift was bigger, such as when he pulled into the yard with a gazebo on a flat deck. He recently told us that he would die a very content man because he had the best wife and kids a man could hope for. In keeping with his wishes, cremation has taken place and a private family interment will be held. Family and friends are invited to a celebration of Alex's life on Friday, September 22 at 1 p.m. in the Riverton Community Hall. All are welcome. We would like to thank Dr. S.V. Patel for looking after our dad for many years. We would also like to thank Dr. Ahmed and Rebecca at CancerCare and Dr. R.C. Patel. We would like to give a special thank you to the Interlake Palliative Care team for assisting us in keeping our Dad at home. In lieu of flowers, donation in Dad's memory can be made to the Riverton Hnausa Lutheran Church. Gilbart Funeral Home, Gimli in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 19, 2006