MICHAEL SAWULA

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MICHAEL SAWULA Surrounded by his loving family, Michael passed away peacefully on Thursday, July 21, 2005 at the St. Boniface Hospital. We miss him immensely but are comforted to know that he is once again reunited with his beloved son, Gregory. Our dear husband, Dad and Gigi will be sorrowfully missed by his devoted wife of 63 years, Kathleen; his daughter Cathy and husband Herb and his three very special grandsons, Christopher (Merren), Adam and Robert. He also leaves to mourn his sister Pauline, as well as many brother and sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his only son, Gregory, as well as his dear sister Jean and brother-in-law Maurice. Michael was born in Winnipeg's North End on November 23, 1915 to Ukrainian and Polish immigrants. As a young man and throughout his life Michael had a love for books and a never ending desire to learn. He wrote countless poems and had a phenomenal command of the English language. His knowledge and literary abilities were astounding and he always enjoyed sharing his wisdom and intellect with others. Unfortunately, his diminished vision impaired his ability to read in his later years but he never lost his love for writing. As a young man Michael was an avid photographer. He also enjoyed stamp collecting and was especially proud of producing his Centenary of Confederation triangle stamp which he designed to commemorate Canada's Centennial. Michael's entrepreneurial abilities were displayed early in his life and he thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of self-employment. Following his graduation, he opened a small general store in Telford, MB while working on the section gang for Canadian Pacific Railway following. He was never afraid of taking a chance and later, he and his wife, Kathleen successfully owned and operated a grocery store, Commercial Aisle and Nor-Heights Hardware both on Airlies Street. In 1942, Michael was enlisted into the Canadian Armed Forces, to serve in the Signal Core during the Second World War. Before departing for duty he married his love, Kathleen, eloping with her to be married on July 17, 1942. They recently shared their 63rd wedding anniversary together just prior to his passing. Michael was later transferred to the Princess Patricia Light Infantry and travelled overseas to serve in the Netherlands and Germany. Upon Michael's return from duty, he and Kathleen moved back from Vancouver to Winnipeg where he returned to his employment as a carman with the Canadian Pacific Railway. He continued to work full time while he and Kathleen operated their grocery and hardware stores. Michael was elected Chairman of the Union of Brotherhood of Railway Employees, a responsibility he took very seriously. He vigorously defended his colleagues and enjoyed the challenges of contract negotiations. Michael had a great love for nature and was fortunate to purchase property on Lake Macara in Ingolf, ON where he later built the family cottage. Building the cottage years ago was a difficult task and involved back breaking labour but due to his great love for the lake and his family, he endured the hard work and never complained. His cottage at Ingolf was very special to him and he spent many wonderful summers at the lake with his family and friends. Following his retirement from C.P.R. in 1976, Michael and Kathleen moved to Burnaby, BC which Michael called the California of Canada . There he learned the art of hosting his weekly garage sales. He was an avid salesman and astounded his customers with his broad array of antiques, junk and brass goods. As family was important to Michael, in 1989, following the birth of his second grandson, Michael and Kathleen returned to Winnipeg permanently where he enjoyed many years of good health and happiness with his family and friends. He was a long standing member of the Scottish Rite of Masonry, belonging to Acacia Lodge. Michael was a very kind, generous and gentle man. He was an honest man who loved his family, especially his three grandsons whom he shared many wonderful years with. We will miss our Dad and Gigi, especially his gentle nature and warm smile. We are grateful he taught us to appreciate nature, stand up for what you believe in, and especially for our cottage at the lake. Our sincere thanks to the staff at St. Boniface Hospital for their kindness, and the care and compassion they extended to Michael during his short stay there. A memorial service celebrating Dad's life will take place 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 25 at Korban Funeral Chapel, 907 Main St. with Rev. Deacon Leon Twerdun officiating. Interment will follow at Holy Family Cemetery. KORBAN FUNERAL CHAPEL 956-2193

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 24, 2005