Wesley BERNAT

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BERNAT: With sadness we mourn the sudden passing of Wesley Theodore Bernat at the age of 68 on Sunday December 4, 2016, in Dauphin Manitoba. Wes was born in Dauphin on May 24, 1948. He was the second of 3 children born to Mike and Mary (Wosowich) Bernat and grew up on the family farm in Keld, Manitoba. On the farm he had a love for horses. At one time he owned a set of Percheron horses, which he showed at competitions. He was also an avid outdoorsman and enjoyed skiing, boating, camping and fishing. For many years Wes broadcasted for the Dauphin Kings on CKDM and also did announcements for the Dauphin Agricultural Society for their horse shows. He was also actively involved in the farming community and farmed in Keld, Manitoba until 1994. Wes met his wife Stephanie (nee Skryp) on a blind date in 1982 and they were married in 1984. A year later they were blessed with their first son Andrew, then in 1988 they were blessed with their second son Allan. Family was very important to him and he loved them dearly. Many memories were made together and he passed his family values on to Andrew and Allan. In 2014, tragedy struck when their eldest son Andrew was killed in a snowmobile accident. Life to him was never the same but he found comfort in working on the farm alongside Stephanie and Allan. Wes worked for Manitoba Hydro for a short time and then went on to obtain his Business Administration and Human Resources education to further his career. He started at the City of Dauphin in 1974 as an Engineering Clerk and then went on to become Personnel Director and eventually a City Councillor where he sat on many boards and was actively involved in the community. When acting city counsellor, he was involved with the water treatment plant, cemetery board, veterinary board, the recreation complex and many other community projects. He was also involved with the Intermountain Conservation District, starting as a city representative and then becoming chairperson. Wes was an accomplished musician who played drums at the beginning of his career with multiple bands and then switched to playing violin with his sons Andrew and Allan in a band called ``Zabava``. They played many gigs throughout Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Ontario and the United States. Left to mourn his passing are his wife Stephanie, son Allan, mother Mary Bernat and extended families. Our family will sorrowfully miss Wes. We are extremely proud of what he accomplished in life, both personally and professionally. He was truly an amazing and unique man. Prayers were offered on Thursday, December 8, 2016 from Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Dauphin, Manitoba. Funeral Liturgy was held on Friday, December 9, 2016 from Ukrainian Catholic Church of the Resurrection in Dauphin, Manitoba with Very Rev Father Oleg Bodnarski officiating. Interment followed in Riverside Cemetery in Dauphin, Manitoba. Pallbearers were Gordon Thompson, Garry Roehl, Ron Paziuk, Larry Hyshka, Lorne Misanchuk, Lyle Stokotelny, Dean Dawson, Gerry Musey.Sneath-Strilchuk -Dauphin Chapel204-638-4110 www.sneathstrilchuk.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Dec 09, 2016