Obituary of EUGENE KIEZIK

EUGENE KIEZIK Dad was born 1918 in the village of Plussy Ruzki, near Wilno of what was then Poland. In May of 1941 he was taken from home, never to see his parents again, and sent to a Siberian labor camp where he remained until freed by General Sikorski to join the Polish 2nd Corps of the British 8th Army. In the 10th Battalion Army Engineers, under General Anders he served in North Africa, Iraq, Iran, Palestine and fought at Monte Casino where he received a wound from which he suffered the remainder of his life. During the war Dad visited the Holy Land, and forever reverenced being able to walk the path Jesus took to Calvary. Dad was a mechanic in his army service and learned to drive and fix all vehicles. He particularly loved riding army motorcycles. From having served in Italy, Dad was ever after conversant in Italian. Dad was decorated with distinguished medals and came to Canada in 1946. Arriving in Winnipeg, he wound up working on the Rootsaert dairy farm where he met and married the love of his life, Margaret with whom he celebrated their 64th anniversary this year. Together they raised two sons, Edward (wife Helen) and Jim (dearest companion Sandra). Dad was also grandfather to Justin (Jen) and Kevin (Alana). Dad was a most loving and caring husband, father and grandfather which stemmed from his deep, life long, devout and abiding love of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary, Our Heavenly Mother. Dad learned to play the accordion while still at home in Poland, a love he never lost. He was a most elegant ballroom dancer. Whatever dad did in life, a life in which he worked so hard each day, he did magnificently well. He did everything to the best of his humble ability, achieving perfection in most everything he touched. After working on the dairy farm, dad worked for a welding company where he became the chief welder. He didn’t waste any of a sheet of metal and he learned on his own how to use the company’s welding equipment with such efficiency that the company was staggered when he had to leave the company for health reasons. Dad wound up working at Maple Leaf Mills where he did just about anything and everything that needed doing. At home dad could build, fix or improve anything about the house from the roof to the foundation. The detailed concrete garage floor he poured remains without so much as a single hairline crack 40 years later. He loved his rose bushes, vegetable garden, and had such a fine lawn that people driving by would stop to admire the lawn and speak to dad to learn some tips. Dad put up purple martin bird houses from which he received so much enjoyment. Dad loved to fish, especially ice fishing, and to hunt. He learned how to smoke the goldeye he caught, and to make the finest wine, being very particular beginning with the grapes he choose. He gave most of the fish he smoked and the wine he made away to friends and neighbors. Dad loved to watch football, baseball and hockey and especially loved the Blue Jays and Bombers. Dad’s true love of Jesus defined the person, man and father that dad was. When dad retired, he attended daily mass for as long as he could walk, and thereafter, devoutly prayed the daily mass on television. Dad prayed the rosary daily with his father’s rosary until he was physically unable. He prayed from a book of prayers of love and gratitude to Jesus Crucified until each page, each prayer was so marked, and tattered with use, the book is now a delicate keepsake held together with tape. All of dad’s prayers were for his family. Dad had sight in only one eye from birth and he lost much of his hearing from a war injury which caused him much suffering, pain and loss of balance for the remainder of his life. All the hard and heavy work dad did caused dad to suffer terribly in his later years from severe osteo-arthritis in his neck, shoulders and hips. Dad never complained about his pains or disabilities, and his disabilities never stopped him from his work. He worked through it all with silent determination. True to the promises of Our Lord in the book of prayers that dad so devoutly said for so long, 15 days before dad died his face shone with such a beautiful, loving and peaceful countenance. At that point dad could barely see, hear, stand or raise his hand. For the next 14 days, from his hospital bed, dad retraced the steps he once walked with reverence at Calvary. We are so blessed to have had such a loving husband, father and grandfather. God bless and keep you dad until we meet again. With all our love and gratitude, we miss you so very, very much. Viewing and recitation of the holy rosary will be held at Holy Ghost Parish, 341 Selkirk Avenue at 09:30 AM Thursday, November 12, 2015, followed at 10:00 AM by Burial Mass celebrated by Fr. Daniel Janulewicz OMI. Entombment at Assumption Cemetery (Mausoleum), 3990 Portage Avenue.