Obituary of RAYMOND HALAS

RAYMOND HALAS April 3, 1922 – November 13, 2015 Quietly, in the presence of his loved ones, Ray Halas passed away after a long, vibrant and fulfilling life. His last weeks were filled with loving visits from his children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and his brother Jerry. Ray was born, raised and lived his life in Winnipeg’s north end. The eldest son of Nicholas and Stella, he and his siblings Angela, Nick, Bill, and Jerry shared a family home and, eventually, the family hardware store that Nicholas started with his then teen-aged son Ray. Halas Hardware became a cornerstone of the McGregor and Mountain north end community; for fifty years, north-enders knew that if you wanted to “Make your home a palace” you had to “Shop at Halas!” Ray served in the Canadian army during the Second World War, towards the end of which he married his first love, Mary Schmidt. Ray and Mary had five children together between 1945 and 1960. This was a prosperous happy time during which they both became very active in the life of their community, particularly through their volunteer work at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Ray served as the chair of the committee that oversaw the fundraising, design and building of the current modern version of St. Joseph’s on Mountain Avenue, a building that remains a vital hub for people of faith in the north end. In 1963 Ray and his children endured Mary’s sudden and tragic death. Ray showed great resilience in the period that followed, dedicating himself to the needs of his family and business while also seeking ways to bring wholeness back into his own life. He succeeded when he fell in love and married his second wife Elinore, beginning a new rewarding chapter in his story. Together Ray and Ellie guided the children into adulthood and fruitful lives of their own. They delighted in the arrival of their many grandchildren and great grandchildren, and enjoyed many happy and active years of retirement between Winnipeg and the cottage at Whytewold, interspersed with numerous warm holidays. Throughout, Ray remained a kind and humble man with a deep and enduring faith in God and unconditional love for family. In the words of one of his grandchildren: Gigi was a sweet, kind, funny, pickle-making guru who taught us perseverance in the face of tragedy, how to protect birdseed from squirrels with a slingshot (he somehow never won!), and how to play a mean game of solitaire (he somehow never lost!) In 2011, Ellie passed away and Ray carried on, living independently in his own home until the last few weeks of his life. His goal of living at home was achieved in large part thanks to the help and support of his wonderful neighbours. Ray will be lovingly remembered by his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren: Ron (Denis, Katherine, Samantha, Tanya, Gary, Peter, Cody, Jerzy, Mac and Jesse), Karen and Ken (Jonathan, Tim), Fran and Tom (Jamie, Katie, Patrick, Quinn, James, Isabelle, Ben, Brynn, Blake and Griffin), Joe and Deenie (Franklin and Stephen), and Joannie and Bob. Ray also leaves to mourn his beloved brother Jerry, and many other dear relatives and friends. Mass of Christian burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 19th, 2015 at St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church, Winnipeg, corner of Mountain and Andrews. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Ray’s memory to a charity of choice or to the homeless. "Love is all that I can give to you" (Nat King Cole)