Obituary of WALTER GWOZD

WALTER (WALLY) GWOZD March 4, 1934 – May 2, 2014 After a short but courageous battle with cancer it is with love and great sadness that Walter's family announces his peaceful passing to be with his Heavenly Father. Grateful for the deep and lasting impact he had on our lives, inspiring each of us to live as fully and joyfully as he did are his wife of almost 54 years Marie, son Patrick, daughters Andrea (Don) and Celeste (Dwaine), grandchildren, whom he affectionately referred to as his "little darlings" Ashley, Meghan and Matthew Boitson. Also left to cherish his memory are his sister Mary Kohut, sister-in-law Helen Patterson (Gwozd), cousin Kay Kuzyk (Fred) and many nieces, nephews, cousins, friends and neighbours. He was predeceased by his parents, William and Mary, brother Bill and brother-in-law Joseph Kohut. Wally was born and raised in Portage la Prairie, MB. Soon after graduating high school he followed his childhood dream and joined the RCAF to become a fighter pilot. He trained in Centrallia, Ont. in 1953 and was stationed in Baden-Soellingen, Germany with 422 Sqn. from 1954-1957 flying the F86 Sabre Jet on NATO Missions. Upon his return to Portage in 1958 he commenced his commercial flying career with Transair. In 1960 he married the love of his life Marie Krnoski and moved to Winnipeg in 1963 to raise their young family. In order to spend more time with his family Wally became an entrepreneur and formed Alpha Vending. After 10 successful years he sold the business and resumed his passion of flying as chief pilot with Air Manitoba, soaring the open skies with the iconic C46, DC3, Canso (water bombing) and Hawker aircraft to name a few, until his retirement in 1993. Wally was a humble, soft-spoken, patient, young-at-heart, kind gentleman. He will be forever remembered for his quick wit and wonderful sense of humour. He was a very intelligent man, which always made for interesting conversation and a great resource. Who needs Wikipedia? We had Wiki-Wally! As a long-time member of St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Church he was a man of deep commitment and faith. He enjoyed wine making, cooking and following the stock market for hours at a time. As a member of the Sabre Pilots Association Air Division 422 Sqn., Wally and Marie enjoyed numerous trips across Canada for the biannual SPAADS reunions. For the past 20 years they also looked forward to their winter getaways to Palm Springs where they formed many wonderful and lasting friendships. Family vacations were very special to Wally and he felt fortunate to have that time together, especially with his grandchildren, whom he adored. His family was his life and he will be dearly missed. Many thanks to Fr. Bohdan Lukie for his visits and prayers for Wally and for his genuine concern for the family. Thank you also to Fr. Frank Szadiak for his visits and prayers. The Funeral Mass will take place on Thursday, May 8, 2014 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 250 Jefferson Ave., Winnipeg, MB. Private family interment in Portage la Prairie will follow at a later date. The family would like to extend their sincere appreciation to the doctors, nurses and aides at HSC GD-4 and Riverview Health Centre 3E for their compassionate care for Walter. You are all angels doing God’s work! In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to Blessed Vasyl Velychkovsky Shrine, Cancercare Manitoba or Riverview Health Centre.