Obituary of ROMAN WTOREK

ROMAN WTOREK February 12, 1947 - September 4, 2020 Roman Wtorek was born on February 12th, 1947 in Przemyśl, Poland. Born to Petro and Maria(Zolynsky), he was the oldest brother to Marian and Bronislawa (Kulczycki). Shortly after his birth, the family relocated to Głubczyce, Poland, where they remained until their eventual immigration to Canada. Roman was a hard working and focused man gifted with the ability of eloquent speech and reasoning. He applied those skills and graduated from the University of Wroclaw, Faculty of Law in 1969. During that time, he made many life long friends which he remained in contact with. Roman would return to Wrocław many times to attend a variety of alumni gatherings and celebrations. Roman would marry Wanda Winiarski, herself a law school graduate and practicing magistrate, in 1977. They welcomed their only child, Piotr, in February 1979. Soon after his birth, Wanda became seriously ill which ended her life prematurely. Roman, along with countless family members and friends, would go on to raise Piotr. Roman was always a man who dedicated himself to family and friends above all else. He recognized at that leaving Poland would offer his son the best opportunity at realizing his potential. Despite having a respected career, many friends and the comfort of a country he lived in for over 30 years, he decided to move to Canada. Roman and his only son, Piotr, relocated to Winnipeg, Manitoba in February 1983. Despite never practicing law again, Roman quickly adapted to Canadian life and integrated himself into the community. He proudly identified himself as a Canadian. Becoming a Canadian citizen in 1989 was one of the most important milestones in his life. Roman was always a sociable man who quickly endeared himself to those around him. He was incredibly lucky to meet such wonderful friends. In particular, the Rygiel and Krawec families will always be remembered for their warmth and help. They were an important part of not only Roman’s life, but also his son’s. As Roman was the eldest son, he understood the responsibility of taking care of his family. He unselfishly took care of his mother as her health began to decline. Similarly, he also looked after his father when he began to age. Never once did he complain about these duties. He simply accepted them as the expectations of a son. Roman spent much of his free time enjoying the outdoors of Canada. He was an avid fisherman and hunter who would travel throughout Manitoba with his friends. Frequently, he would travel to Alberta to visit his close brother, Marian, and his beloved nieces, Colleen and Kasia Wtorek. Much time was also spent with his nephews, Roman and Victor Kulczycki, whom he cared for greatly. Roman would later marry Grazyna (Ludwinska) in 1997. She was a wonderful companion to Roman and loved him dearly. Her daughters, Agnieszka and Ania, and grandson, Filip, were very fond of Roman and will always hold a special place in their hearts for him. He welcomed Grazyna’s daughters and grandson and loved them like they were his own. Roman was so proud of his daughter-in-law, Amy. He was so happy that a woman as intelligent and warm as her was becoming part of his family. Roman loved his grandchildren, Atticus and Penelope, above all else. Nothing made him happier than when he would visit them and offer them treats. Much of his time and focus revolved around the care and growth of these two special grandchildren. Roman could always be guaranteed to be present at their hockey and soccer games, no matter what time or weather. He was so proud that they were becoming such beautiful people. He had great hopes for their future and would have loved to enjoy their accomplishments further. Unexpectedly, Roman was diagnosed with an aggressive form of lung cancer in June 2020. Despite this, Roman was optimistic and hopeful that a treatment would be helpful. During this time, he continued to receive unwavering love and support from his wife, Grazyna. She lovingly stood by him and looked after him as his health rapidly declined over the summer. Sadly, despite the best efforts of the family, he was unable to continue the battle. He passed away peacefully on September 4th, 2020, with his family at the bedside. His wit, humour and company will be missed. The family would like to thank everyone involved in the care of Roman, including staff at: St.Boniface Hospital, Grace General Hospital and CancerCare Manitoba. A prayer service will be held at Cropo Funeral Chapel on 1442 Main Street on September 11th, 2020 at 7:00 PM. Limited space and seating is available, please contact the family in advance if you plan on attending. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in his memory to CancerCare Manitoba