DAVID ROY HOLOWATY

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DAVID ROY HOLOWATY On Wednesday, August 3, 2011 Dad, affectionately known as Geedo, passed away peacefully at his home with Evelyn by his side. For the past three to four years dad has been struggling with a rare neurological condition that resembles many of the symptoms of ALS. Dad met this challenge with great courage, humour, determination and let's face it...stubbornness! If you knew Dad, you knew him as a strong, strapping man. He was very independent and there wasn't much he couldn't do. He was a guys, guy . His passions were many, but most of his interests lay in his love for the outdoors, anything mechanical, sports and just a good story from one of the guys. Dad was somebody who was very satisfied with the status quo. He lived in the same home for over 35 years. It was only recently that he and Evelyn moved to a bungalow to accommodate for his mobility concerns. Dad and Evelyn loved their new home and he often commented on what a finely built home it was. Dad was one with nature. From a young age dad taught us to respect nature and enjoy it. From sledding to hunting and fishing, he lived for it all. He and Evelyn would often camp at an island near Minaki he nicknamed Tornado Island for a storm he endured once while camping there. Dad spent countless hours fishing and hunting with Paul and famous hunting dog Jewel. Jewel passed away this past year, and Dad's health seemed to decline a little faster not having Jewel by his side. We often teased Dad that he liked Jewel better than us. If the arena staff did not let Jewel in the arena to watch young Reid's hockey game, then Dad didn't want to watch either! Dad enjoyed his annual trip to Crowduck with the guys and loved to spend time at his cottage on Turtle Island, Lake of the Woods. Dad would often reminisce about the previous owner Barry. Barry was one of dad's best friends but had passed away many years ago. Dad was sentimental, and was sure not to make too many changes to the cottage because he wanted to keep it just how Barry had left it. It was at the cottage that Dad taught his grandchildren Adam, Luke and Reid about the bald eagle, how to make the perfect batch of hummingbird nectar, trouble shooting and maintaining motors, and how important even the simplest item, such as a nail can be on an island. Despite Dad's illness, he was able to enjoy the cottage with the help of an all-terrain scooter and the strong arms of Rick, Adam and Luke to assist in getting him in and out of the boat. Against all odds, Dad was even able to spend an entire summer on the island with Adam and cousin Connor at the ages of 16, with no home-care, just your basic care from these young fellows. Nobody was able to drive a vehicle, so they made numerous trips to Kenora by boat for groceries which of course cost them more in gas than the actual groceries! There was nothing Geedo's three grandchildren would not do for him. Dad was very loyal. He worked in the automotive industry for 50 plus years, but what is truly amazing is that he worked for the same company TRW, presently known as Federal Mogul for the entire time. He loved his career with Federal Mogul and was still going strong until the illness forced him to pull the pin . The technical part was just a small part of his love for his career. Dad made many life-long friends along the way, from customers to co-workers. During the past few years communication and mobility had been difficult for Dad, so getting together with friends was not to be. Unfortunately his illness did not allow for a big retirement party that he so rightly deserved, but one thing is for certain he really missed those of you in the industry. He and his nephew Wayne shared a common interest in the industry as well, which delighted my Dad. Dad was a sports enthusiast. He felt strongly that living in Canada, we needed to know how to swim and skate. He instilled a competitive nature in us and coached us to many ringette and hockey championships at Bronx Park. One of the best times with Dad was going to Friday family nights at the Men's Y downtown as kids, where we would swim and have intense floor hockey matches. Dad would let us bring friends and cousins, and it was a guarantee that he would treat us all to McDonalds afterwards. He loved a burger and fries just as much as the rest of us. In fact, Dad enjoyed more than just one burger! Dad was an avid fan of the NFL, CFL NHL, PGA, and UFC. You get the idea, anything with three letters. More recently, Rick had converted Dad to a Dutch Soccer fan which was a difficult transition initially because Dad equated soccer with watching paint dry. Dad was a great hockey player and had outstanding water skiing skills, even skiing barefoot! His size 13 feet may have had something to do with this unique ability. In the past few years, many family times have included taking in a good hockey game or football game around the TV or going to one of Luke's football / basketball games or Reid's hockey games. The next day, my Dad would often do post game chats with his home-care workers Peter, Paul and Bob. He really enjoyed his time with these fellows and was looking forward to reviewing the rest of which seems to be a promising Bomber season. Dad loved to take on projects from small to big, as long as it didn't include reading instructions, because if I remember correctly, Dad didn't do instructions! He tackled many of these projects with good friends Danny, Teddy, Eugene, and Bill. From fixing the lawn mower to re-storing the Jimmy, these fellows spent long hours with Dad going for breakfast, consulting and then getting down to business. Dad's biggest projects had to have been the Jimmy and the Camo Truck which he, Paul and Jewel always used for their hunting expeditions. These projects were not limited to just his own. He was always there to lend a helping hand or his expertise to anyone who needed it. Even when mobility became an issue, Dad was right there sitting on a chair beside the hood of the car directing the job. Rick and Adam also took a particular interest in Geedo's hobbies and helped him accomplish many things over the years. His proudest moments included Paul's graduation from nursing, Adam's recent graduation from high school, Luke's big win at the Canad Inn Stadium, and of course Reid's striking resemblance to Geedo himself! Dad and Evelyn enjoyed going cruisin' out to Jane, Leo, Liz and Barclay's place in the Jimmy or just heading out to the pits for a swim together. February always brought Joe and Beth's annual pancake dinner at their church, which Dad, Evelyn and the family never missed. I mean c'mon, all you can eat pancakes! Dad had a lot of great sayings that we won't forget. Dad had a habit of leaving food on his plate or milk in his glass at the end of a meal and he would say It will look better in the garbage than it will on me which was originally coined by Ev's mom years ago. When he went through a bout with cancer many years ago, people would ask him how he was doing and he would respond Well, I'm not buying any green bananas . Dad had a great sense of humour. Every summer Dad would always make an official announcement that fall had arrived. As soon as dad would see the first yellow leaf in the bush, Dad would say fall is in the air , even if it was 30 above and only July 1st! This always made us laugh, but at the same time, a little ticked off at the premature announcement. We will all miss dad immensely, especially partner Evelyn Falloon, son Paul Holowaty, daughter and son-in-law Ab and Rick Sierhuis, grandchildren Adam, Luke and Reid Sierhuis, brother Peter and Tina Holowaty, sister Rose and Barry Dutchak, Lois Smith and Jim Skubovious, Roberta and Ed Porter, Jayne Falloon and Kevin Livesly, Chris and Jenn Falloon, James Falloon and Laura Mennell, and little Lily, Kiera and Sam. Also feeling the loss are many friends and family on the Holowaty, Falloon, Sierhuis, Raine and Coulter sides. According to Dad's wishes, a service will not be held. Instead, grab yourself a toothpick, enjoy the sunshine and when you see an eagle soaring think of my dad. The family wishes to sincerely thank Dr. Kevin Saunders for outstanding medical care over the years. Kevin always had a good story for Dad and dad always had one in return. We would also like to thank the entire home care organization for their flexibility in allowing my dad to be at home where he wanted to be. Special thanks to home-care workers Peter, Bob, Paul, Giselle, Sandra and D'arcy. You all make a big difference in this world. Thank you to the ALS Society, especially Diana for your knowledge and all the great work you are doing raising funds for ALS which directly impacts a cure and the care of persons affected by ALS and other neurological diseases. If friends and family wish to make a donation in memory of my dad, please think of the ALS society www.alsmb.ca or the Winnipeg Humane Society www.winnipeghumanesociety.ca Glen Eden Funeral Home 338-7111 www.gleneden-mb.ca

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 06, 2011