PETER FROLEK

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PETER FROLEK A generous and loving man, Peter, husband, father, son, grandfather and friend passed away on January 26, 2006 surrounded by his loved ones at his side. Along with wife Maria of 40 years (nee Czerniewicz); he is survived by his son Mirek; twin daughters, Joanne (Gerry) and Janet (Brad); and grandchildren, Mila, Madan and Maxwell. He also leaves to mourn his passing, mother Elfriede (nee Wecera) and her husband Alex Hur; brother Paul (Cathy); and sisters, Sandi (Emil), Romana (Bruno), Christine, nieces, nephew and numerous friends. He was predeceased by daughters, Diane and Michelle. Peter was born May 17, 1945 in Horn, Austria. Shortly after birth, his paternal grandmother had taken him out of war-torn Austria to Czechoslovakia and together with her husband provided Peter with a loving and stable family atmosphere. As time passed, it became evident that Peter's father was killed by the German Nazis in Mathausen, Austria. Peter grew up in Czechoslovakia where his grandfather ran a trucking business until 1954 when the Communist Government nationalized all of his assets. As a young adult, Peter finished school; attended three years apprentice training, plus two years Industrial Machinery School. While Peter remained in his grandparents care, his mother travelled to England, where she remarried and in 1952 came to Winnipeg. Although Peter was reunited with his mom in 1955 in Austria, he did not wish to return with her to Canada and remained with his grandparents. As a young adult, the urge for adventure and travel dominated and with assistance from his mom, the Czech Government allowed him to emigrate, as he had remained an Austrian citizen until 1953. Peter immigrated to Canada in January 1965. He met Maria that same year and they were married in 1966. He was a dedicated husband and loving father. His passion for travel and thirst for knowledge and adventure was evident in his everyday life. He valued spending time with his family, building their summer cabin and travelling. Their travels took them all across Canada, the United States and Hawaii, Mexico, the Caribbean, Japan and throughout Europe on many occasions. Prior to palliative care, Peter and his family celebrated life with a final trip during the month of December. As an employee, Peter was a lifelong learner with a dedicated work ethic, a keen sense of machining and a wonderful way with people. Notable employers include: Bristol, CPR, Iscar Factory Representative for the Province of Alberta, ACT, and finally Applied Product Specialist for Kennametal/Greenfield IPG, where he managed the areas of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. He thoroughly enjoyed the challenges work presented over the years and valued the relationships he developed with wonderful people such as Mark Crump and Margaret Laird of Greenfield. The family would like to thank the caring nursing staff at D6 of Health Science Centre, the support of Dr. Seftel, Megan Sobie and the fantastic people at CancerCare Manitoba. Dr. Garcia, Dr. Pitz and the caring staff at Riverview Health Centre also provided wonderful end of life support. Peter was a man of his word. He was a man of principal and social consciousness. He lived each day to the fullest. His joy for life, generosity, intellectual wit and genuine honesty will be missed dearly by many friends and family. Cremation has taken place and in accordance with Peter's wishes, there will be no further service. If friends so desire, donations may be made to CancerCare Manitoba or Riverview Health Centre. CROPO FUNERAL CHAPEL 586-8044

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 28, 2006