1941 ~ 2023
On Sunday, August 13, 2023, Leonard Byczek of Lac du Bonnet, MB passed away peacefully at the age of 82 years old.
Leonard was born in Poplarfield, MB on January 18, 1941 and is survived by Doris, his wife of 54 years, his two sons; Wayne (Angeline) and Kevin (Kim) and his grandchildren; Xander, Eva, Kylie and Dylan. Some extended family includes; Glen, Sharon, Claudia, Jeanine, Henriette, Claude, Madeline, Michael (Joanne) including several nieces, nephews, brothers/sisters in-law, long-time friends: Gord, Dave, John and a host of other in-laws and a few out-laws.
Leonard was predeceased by his father, Walter, his mother, Pearl, and his half-bother Brownie (Adele).
Dad worked with the Ministry of Transportation and Government Services (TGS at the time) Maintenance Division in Lac du Bonnet, MB and retired after >36.5 years of service in January 2003. He worked for TGS by day and grain farmed evenings and weekends. He would come home from work, have his 5-minute supper (…burp…) then head out on the fields with his favorite McCormick tractor.
Since Dad’s retirement in 2003, he became a professional tinkerer; fixing and repairing almost anything he got his hands on that was broken or needing work on the farm; rebuilding engines, carburetors, roofs/shingles and “that dang tractor”. He continued cutting/hauling/splitting firewood in the summer to keep the farmhouse comfy in winter at a modest 82°F. He mowed the >3 acre lawn, worked the >0.3 acre garden, playing with his chainsaws/snowmobiles/ 3-wheeler, commercial trucking with Grewinski Trucking “just for fun”, building his pull behind cart for ease of tasks around the yard, enjoyed his fall harvest battles with the Canadian geese and a host of backwoods farming follies. Occasionally if things didn’t go right during “the build”, some colorful language came out, a wrench might have been thrown, a quick apology to the ladies, then the next day he would be back at it. One of his many favorite stories was about a bad meeting about work in Beausejour then travelling back to LDB while outrunning the police at 120mph on Milner Ridge Road; the “….old 1967 Dodge Fury III was opened right up….” on that night!
Dad enjoyed his time with family and watching his kids and grandkids grow up, including his extended and hyper-extended family. He was proud of you all!
Dad passed away with family by his side, looking out a million miles away and reaching for the bright light; the work is done dad. Cremation has taken place and a private family burial will be held in fall 2023.
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Sharon Sveinson
So very sorry for your loss. And what a wonderful obituary; I could picture uncle Leonard doing all those things. I have a vivid memory of reading comic books to him when I was learning to read. And a much more recent memory of he and my mom sharing a room at Pinawa hospital. He was on a restricted diet and she didn’t have much appetite so…guess what happened to her unfinished meal trays? They both got a kick out of pulling one over on the nurses. Hugs to all of you.