Our father SAM PAWLUK passed away in Raymond, Alberta on Thursday, December 2, 2021 at the age of 84 years after a brief battle with lung cancer.
Dad is survived by his wife Shirley (Henrie) Pawluk; his two children, Cindy (Pawluk) and Philippe Maurice; Don and Shelley (Witter) Pawluk; 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren; his sister, Clara Thingelstad and brother, Jim Pawluk.
His grandchildren are: Sarah (Taylor) Schow and their daughter, Chantry; Natalya Pawluk; Gerahd (Kaillie) Pawluk and their son, Levi; Eryn Pawluk; Phoebe Maurice; Stefan Pawluk; Alexandre Maurice; Mikaela Pawluk, and Hadeon Pawluk.
Dad was predeceased by his father, Mickel Pawluk; his mother, Marya Lastiwka; brothers Peter Pawluk, John Pawluk, and Bill Pawluk; and sisters Doris Pawluk, Anne Bratzer, Mary Pawluk, and Jean Copeland.
A first generation Canadian, Dad was born and raised in Mossbank, Saskatchewan growing up on a farm with his large Ukrainian family. His father, Mickel was born in Belogorodka (in present day Ukraine) and mother Marya was born in a Ukrainian village in what was at the time, part of Austria. The ninth of ten children, Dad had five sisters: Anne, Jean, Clara, Mary, and Doris (died in infancy) and four brothers: Peter (died in infancy), John, Jim, and Bill.
In September of 1961, Dad married Shirley Henrie in Taylorville, Alberta. In the early years, they lived in Cardston, Pincher Creek, Rocky Mountain House, and Calgary. While living in Calgary and after three years of marriage Dad and Mom were blessed with the first of two children, Cindy - with little brother Donnie born three and a half years later.
Our family spent many weekends and summers together at rig sites with the kids having the run of the site. There are many fond memories of eating in the camp kitchens (anything and everything we wanted); drinking copious amounts of grape and orange soda; playing baseball with the rig hands; hiking in the mountains near the sites; riding dirt bikes; and driving cars on the rig roads before we were even old enough to obtain our learners’ licenses.
We spent lots of time camping as kids – starting off in our little Boler trailer; our truck camper; and then our Centurion motorhome. We would camp at or near rig sites, or at our cousins’ farms for family reunions. We went dirt biking; played badminton and swam in lakes, rivers, and streams. We chopped firewood with “Big Bertha” – the giant axe Dad had made himself and that weighed almost more than the kids. “Bertha” could always split any log in half with one fell swoop –as long as the chopper could lift her over head to let her down (and hopefully, not land on a foot!).
While travelling in the motorhome, Dad always insisted the kids sit on the floor between the two front captains’ chairs (before seatbelts were mandatory) so we could watch the scenery as we travelled. That was all well and fine until on a certain occasion, one of us (ahem, Don) accidentally hit the switch that toggled the engine between gasoline and propane. Very quickly, the engine stalled out on the highway, and shall we say, that we didn’t have to sit up there after that….Oh, and there was also that time the motorhome broke down at Harris Ranch in the middle of California on the way home from Los Angeles where we had been visiting family - in the middle of summer, when it was well over 110°F…
In the winters we often spent time with Dad and Mom snowmobiling, tobogganing, and skating at Bowness Park in Calgary. There were even some years when Dad flooded our backyard in order to have our own private skating rink. Too bad for Dad, we usually couldn’t wait until the ice was sufficiently frozen to try it out, and occasionally because of our enthusiasm, the rink turned into something more like a washboard as our skate blades dug into the too soft ice destroying the smooth surface.
Dad was an avid hunter when he was younger and fisherman as he grew older - he also enjoyed teaching us to fish. He would fish year-round, including in the winter when he would go ice fishing at Chain Lakes with a homemade ice fishing hut that he built himself and towed on skis.
In the 1970s he created a games room in our basement, fully equipped with a 50s “Rockola” juke box filled with an eclectic mixture of country/western, soft rock, hard rock, easy listening, and even a couple of shock rock 45s; a “Big Daddy” pinball machine that turned back over to zero if we were lucky enough to get 999 points; a shuffleboard table he had made himself; and, the latest in “computer” games - Pong - that we hooked up to an ancient black-and-white television Dad had built into the wall. When the records on the juke box would skip, we would bump the case to get the needle moving forward, and, when we tilted the pinball machine we would bang on it with our fists to get it started again.
Growing up with little himself, Dad was emphatic that his kids’ Christmases were filled with way too many toys and other gifts. Each Christmas, the entire floor of the living room would be filled with what seemed like an endless amount of wrapped and uwrapped presents to thrill and delight: an Easy-Bake oven; Tippy-Toes, Baby Alive, Swingy and Crissy dolls; Barbie dolls with a 10-speed bicycle and motorhome; GI-Joe; Hot Wheels and Lego galore, remote-controlled cars and airplanes; Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots; Banana Board skateboards; groovy inflatable yellow kid-sized furniture; battery-powered ride-on sports cars; and, innumerable board games. You name it, it was under our tree.
Additionally, Dad was always concerned about having a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer. He and Mom spent countless hours canning and preserving dill pickles; pickled eggs and beets; various jams and jellies; and, canned peaches, pears and tomatoes. Dad also had a large stoneware crock that would be filled with sauerkraut and covered with a stone and cloth and then placed in the basement near the foot of the stairs. As the days went by, the smell of fermenting cabbage would grow stronger each time we entered the basement. The trip down the stairs was not for the faint of heart!
Dad was known as a skilled cook and his family members can still remember “that one time” when he made the greatest cabbage rolls ever known to humankind! Sadly, as an experimenter who never stuck to recipes, he was never able to exactly replicate those exact cabbage rolls again – but, the ones that followed were, nonetheless, still delicious.
His grandchildren can attest to his ability to make marvelous mashed potatoes that they could never get enough of. We later found out that his “secret” was simply using whipping cream and lots and lots of butter while slowly increasing the speed on his hand mixer until the potatoes were like creamy clouds of heaven.
Though he was reluctant to teach us how to speak Ukrainian, we were able to learn a few words, most of which were for our favourite foods. Oh, and a few curse words as well… When Dad completed his schooling in Mossbank, he began working in the drilling industry starting with Brinkerhoff Drilling; then moving to Loffland Brothers Drilling; and finally finishing out with Nabors Drilling.
As a young man working on oil rigs, he worked as a derrickman, roughneck and a driller. Over time, he also worked as a toolpusher and had, for years, held the position of rig superintendent until his retirement. Much of his career was spent working in Alberta and British Columbia up until the 1980s when he made the move to international work in locations as varied as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Venezuela and China.
He brought home many souvenirs from the international locations he had worked – including wood and metal sculptural pieces. Co-workers shared souvenirs from their own home countries with Dad. Most important to him were graduation portraits of Cindy and Don, commissioned in Thailand and painted on silk.
While working in Saudi Arabia, Dad began working on laser welding projects creating folk art pieces that he would eventually bring home to Calgary. He created sculptural pieces of monkeys climbing trees to reach for bananas; fence-mounted flowers of all types; and the pièce-de-résistence – stainless steel belt buckles emblazoned with horses and gemstones that he created for a lucky few.
When Cindy and Don were still in high school, Dad and Mom were able to go on their well-deserved “world trip” departing Calgary for Hawaii and from there, on to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. They also trusted their two teenagers to stay home alone while they were gone; to get to school and after-school jobs on time; and to keep the house intact. Somehow, it all worked out.
In retirement Dad was always happiest fixing things in his garage, building and rebuilding things in the house, and driving his John Deere tractor around the yard in Magrath where he and Mom had moved over a decade ago. Until his health no longer permitted, Dad enjoyed gardening; repainting the kitchen cabinets and the walls inside the house a million different times; chopping wood to warm the house throughout the winter; and making several trips to Lethbridge each week, as he told Mom, “just for something I need.”
One of the things we will remember about our Dad is his incredible work ethic. No matter what type of project he was working on, he never let fatigue or frustration stop him from completing his task. As adults, when we needed help with anything related to our own vehicle or home repairs he always knew how to fix things and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He eradicated our mice; cleaned our gutters; framed, wired, and drywalled our basements; replaced our hot water tanks; fixed our lousy painting jobs; built playhouses for the grandkids; repaired our vehicles after we wrecked them; changed our oil and brakes to help us save money; and did anything else we asked for help with and many more things we didn’t.
Rest in peace, Dad – your burdens and cares have now been lifted. You finally do have time…
In keeping with Dad’s wishes a private Graveside Service will be held with interment in the Magrath Alberta Cemetery.
We extend a heartfelt thanks to the many staff members at the Raymond Health Centre who compassionately cared for our father and our family during his last days.
Dad is survived by his wife Shirley (Henrie) Pawluk; his two children, Cindy (Pawluk) and Philippe Maurice; Don and Shelley (Witter) Pawluk; 9 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren; his sister, Clara Thingelstad and brother, Jim Pawluk.
His grandchildren are: Sarah (Taylor) Schow and their daughter, Chantry; Natalya Pawluk; Gerahd (Kaillie) Pawluk and their son, Levi; Eryn Pawluk; Phoebe Maurice; Stefan Pawluk; Alexandre Maurice; Mikaela Pawluk, and Hadeon Pawluk.
Dad was predeceased by his father, Mickel Pawluk; his mother, Marya Lastiwka; brothers Peter Pawluk, John Pawluk, and Bill Pawluk; and sisters Doris Pawluk, Anne Bratzer, Mary Pawluk, and Jean Copeland.
A first generation Canadian, Dad was born and raised in Mossbank, Saskatchewan growing up on a farm with his large Ukrainian family. His father, Mickel was born in Belogorodka (in present day Ukraine) and mother Marya was born in a Ukrainian village in what was at the time, part of Austria. The ninth of ten children, Dad had five sisters: Anne, Jean, Clara, Mary, and Doris (died in infancy) and four brothers: Peter (died in infancy), John, Jim, and Bill.
In September of 1961, Dad married Shirley Henrie in Taylorville, Alberta. In the early years, they lived in Cardston, Pincher Creek, Rocky Mountain House, and Calgary. While living in Calgary and after three years of marriage Dad and Mom were blessed with the first of two children, Cindy - with little brother Donnie born three and a half years later.
Our family spent many weekends and summers together at rig sites with the kids having the run of the site. There are many fond memories of eating in the camp kitchens (anything and everything we wanted); drinking copious amounts of grape and orange soda; playing baseball with the rig hands; hiking in the mountains near the sites; riding dirt bikes; and driving cars on the rig roads before we were even old enough to obtain our learners’ licenses.
We spent lots of time camping as kids – starting off in our little Boler trailer; our truck camper; and then our Centurion motorhome. We would camp at or near rig sites, or at our cousins’ farms for family reunions. We went dirt biking; played badminton and swam in lakes, rivers, and streams. We chopped firewood with “Big Bertha” – the giant axe Dad had made himself and that weighed almost more than the kids. “Bertha” could always split any log in half with one fell swoop –as long as the chopper could lift her over head to let her down (and hopefully, not land on a foot!).
While travelling in the motorhome, Dad always insisted the kids sit on the floor between the two front captains’ chairs (before seatbelts were mandatory) so we could watch the scenery as we travelled. That was all well and fine until on a certain occasion, one of us (ahem, Don) accidentally hit the switch that toggled the engine between gasoline and propane. Very quickly, the engine stalled out on the highway, and shall we say, that we didn’t have to sit up there after that….Oh, and there was also that time the motorhome broke down at Harris Ranch in the middle of California on the way home from Los Angeles where we had been visiting family - in the middle of summer, when it was well over 110°F…
In the winters we often spent time with Dad and Mom snowmobiling, tobogganing, and skating at Bowness Park in Calgary. There were even some years when Dad flooded our backyard in order to have our own private skating rink. Too bad for Dad, we usually couldn’t wait until the ice was sufficiently frozen to try it out, and occasionally because of our enthusiasm, the rink turned into something more like a washboard as our skate blades dug into the too soft ice destroying the smooth surface.
Dad was an avid hunter when he was younger and fisherman as he grew older - he also enjoyed teaching us to fish. He would fish year-round, including in the winter when he would go ice fishing at Chain Lakes with a homemade ice fishing hut that he built himself and towed on skis.
In the 1970s he created a games room in our basement, fully equipped with a 50s “Rockola” juke box filled with an eclectic mixture of country/western, soft rock, hard rock, easy listening, and even a couple of shock rock 45s; a “Big Daddy” pinball machine that turned back over to zero if we were lucky enough to get 999 points; a shuffleboard table he had made himself; and, the latest in “computer” games - Pong - that we hooked up to an ancient black-and-white television Dad had built into the wall. When the records on the juke box would skip, we would bump the case to get the needle moving forward, and, when we tilted the pinball machine we would bang on it with our fists to get it started again.
Growing up with little himself, Dad was emphatic that his kids’ Christmases were filled with way too many toys and other gifts. Each Christmas, the entire floor of the living room would be filled with what seemed like an endless amount of wrapped and uwrapped presents to thrill and delight: an Easy-Bake oven; Tippy-Toes, Baby Alive, Swingy and Crissy dolls; Barbie dolls with a 10-speed bicycle and motorhome; GI-Joe; Hot Wheels and Lego galore, remote-controlled cars and airplanes; Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Robots; Banana Board skateboards; groovy inflatable yellow kid-sized furniture; battery-powered ride-on sports cars; and, innumerable board games. You name it, it was under our tree.
Additionally, Dad was always concerned about having a well-stocked pantry, fridge, and freezer. He and Mom spent countless hours canning and preserving dill pickles; pickled eggs and beets; various jams and jellies; and, canned peaches, pears and tomatoes. Dad also had a large stoneware crock that would be filled with sauerkraut and covered with a stone and cloth and then placed in the basement near the foot of the stairs. As the days went by, the smell of fermenting cabbage would grow stronger each time we entered the basement. The trip down the stairs was not for the faint of heart!
Dad was known as a skilled cook and his family members can still remember “that one time” when he made the greatest cabbage rolls ever known to humankind! Sadly, as an experimenter who never stuck to recipes, he was never able to exactly replicate those exact cabbage rolls again – but, the ones that followed were, nonetheless, still delicious.
His grandchildren can attest to his ability to make marvelous mashed potatoes that they could never get enough of. We later found out that his “secret” was simply using whipping cream and lots and lots of butter while slowly increasing the speed on his hand mixer until the potatoes were like creamy clouds of heaven.
Though he was reluctant to teach us how to speak Ukrainian, we were able to learn a few words, most of which were for our favourite foods. Oh, and a few curse words as well… When Dad completed his schooling in Mossbank, he began working in the drilling industry starting with Brinkerhoff Drilling; then moving to Loffland Brothers Drilling; and finally finishing out with Nabors Drilling.
As a young man working on oil rigs, he worked as a derrickman, roughneck and a driller. Over time, he also worked as a toolpusher and had, for years, held the position of rig superintendent until his retirement. Much of his career was spent working in Alberta and British Columbia up until the 1980s when he made the move to international work in locations as varied as Saudi Arabia, Libya, Venezuela and China.
He brought home many souvenirs from the international locations he had worked – including wood and metal sculptural pieces. Co-workers shared souvenirs from their own home countries with Dad. Most important to him were graduation portraits of Cindy and Don, commissioned in Thailand and painted on silk.
While working in Saudi Arabia, Dad began working on laser welding projects creating folk art pieces that he would eventually bring home to Calgary. He created sculptural pieces of monkeys climbing trees to reach for bananas; fence-mounted flowers of all types; and the pièce-de-résistence – stainless steel belt buckles emblazoned with horses and gemstones that he created for a lucky few.
When Cindy and Don were still in high school, Dad and Mom were able to go on their well-deserved “world trip” departing Calgary for Hawaii and from there, on to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. They also trusted their two teenagers to stay home alone while they were gone; to get to school and after-school jobs on time; and to keep the house intact. Somehow, it all worked out.
In retirement Dad was always happiest fixing things in his garage, building and rebuilding things in the house, and driving his John Deere tractor around the yard in Magrath where he and Mom had moved over a decade ago. Until his health no longer permitted, Dad enjoyed gardening; repainting the kitchen cabinets and the walls inside the house a million different times; chopping wood to warm the house throughout the winter; and making several trips to Lethbridge each week, as he told Mom, “just for something I need.”
One of the things we will remember about our Dad is his incredible work ethic. No matter what type of project he was working on, he never let fatigue or frustration stop him from completing his task. As adults, when we needed help with anything related to our own vehicle or home repairs he always knew how to fix things and was always willing to lend a helping hand. He eradicated our mice; cleaned our gutters; framed, wired, and drywalled our basements; replaced our hot water tanks; fixed our lousy painting jobs; built playhouses for the grandkids; repaired our vehicles after we wrecked them; changed our oil and brakes to help us save money; and did anything else we asked for help with and many more things we didn’t.
Rest in peace, Dad – your burdens and cares have now been lifted. You finally do have time…
In keeping with Dad’s wishes a private Graveside Service will be held with interment in the Magrath Alberta Cemetery.
We extend a heartfelt thanks to the many staff members at the Raymond Health Centre who compassionately cared for our father and our family during his last days.