FRED (TED) EDWARD BIALAS

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FRED (TED) EDWARD BIALAS

It is with deepest sadness the family of Fred (Ted) Bialas announces his passing on December 31, 2025, surrounded by family, at the Brandon Regional Health Centre.

Fred was born on July 2, 1930, in the Sandy Lake area and was the second youngest of six children born to John and Ann Bialas. Fred attended Clear Lake school until Grade 7 then left school, at the age of 13 to work on the family farm.

In 1954 Fred met the love of his life, Marlene (Welbourne) at a dance at the Crawford Park Hall. They were married in 1956 and would have celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this coming August. Together they raised three children: Kelvin, Kerrilee, and Kyle.

Shortly after their marriage they moved to Sudbury, Ontario and then to Thompson, Manitoba where Fred worked as a shift boss for Inco until he developed a severe allergy to nickel. At the age of 37 and with three small children Fred went back to school and completed the carpentry program at Assiniboine Community College in Brandon. We have such admiration for the courage and strength this would have taken, so he could provide a better life for his family. After graduating he worked for Hughes and Company in Brandon for 18 years and then for the Brandon School Division as a custodian for 12 years.

Family was everything to Fred and he always put his family first. He was so proud of his three children, seven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Fred worked extremely hard his entire life, from an early age of 13 until he retired at the age of 70 and was always highly respected by his colleagues. He had a quiet strength, loving personality and was a friend to all he met and a best friend to many. He could always be counted on to lend a helping hand, was incredibly patient, was an amazing teacher and was always so kind to everyone. He also had an incredible sense of humour and was always a true gentleman.

Fred loved watching baseball, curling and hockey on TV, especially the Winnipeg Jets; he knew every player by their name and jersey number. He was an avid outdoorsman and liked to hunt when he was younger and go fishing with his sons and grandchildren. He also loved to play bingo, pool, cards, and shuffleboard with his many friends at Lion’s Manor.

Fred is survived by his loving wife Marlene, his three children: Kelvin (Denise), Kerrilee (Peter) and Kyle (Kerrie); his seven grandchildren: Julia (Joe), Adam, Katey, Ben (Sakshi), Madey, Alisa (Alastair) and Megan (Anthony); his six great-grandchildren: Wrenley, Roxy, Wyatt, Cooper, Nora and Huxley; and his sister Sophie Jawa, godson Rob Lowe and many extended family and close friends.

Fred’s family would like to thank Dr. Jay Duncan for his kindness and care over the years as well as the doctors and nurses at the Brandon Regional Health Centre and at CancerCare in Brandon.

A Celebration of Fred’s life was held on January 8, 2026, at Memories Chapel in Brandon. A private family interment took place at the Brandon Cemetery Columbarium, and his son Kelvin was urn bearer.

Although we were so fortunate to have had Fred in our lives all these years, he was such a significant part of our family and has left a huge hole in our hearts. We will forever cherish all the wonderful memories of Fred and will always be thankful for his incredible legacy of unconditional love, wisdom, kindness, humour, quiet strength, and devotion to his family.

Donations in the memory of Fred to a charity of your choice are welcome.

Condolences: www.memorieschapel.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Jan 17, 2026