Obituary of PETER ANTHONY BARTMANOVICH

Peter Anthony Bartmanovich Peacefully at home on Tuesday, November 1, 2011 Peter, dearly beloved husband of Rita, passed away with his family by his side, at the age of 79. Peter was born in Howden, Manitoba on February 24, 1932 where he resided until his passing. Besides his wife Rita, Peter is survived by son Bob (Lauren), grandchildren Erin, Andrea, great grandson Vince; daughter Kim (Richard), grandchildren Ashley, Stacey, Lynsey; son Glenn (Kathryn), grandchildren Caitlan (Scott), Megan, Bryan and his special companion Pixie. He is also survived by sister-in-law Minnie, brother-in-law Ralph (Jean) and brother-in-law John. Also left to mourn his passing are many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends, too numerous to mention. Peter was predeceased by his parents Michael and Maria, brothers Ludvic (Rose), Joseph and Stanley, sisters Frances, Caroline (Tom) and Anne, father-in-law Henry, mother-in-law Dina, sister-in-law Martha Voetberg, and nephews Donald, Garry and Darren. Peter attended Queen Elizabeth School, a one-room schoolhouse in Howden, Manitoba, Earl Grey School and Kelvin High School, graduating in 1949. Peter loved and played all sports in high school and excelled at many of them. He briefly attended university but gave up his studies to work on the family farm. In February 1951, Peter began dating the love of his life, Rita. They were married on July 30, 1955 and spent 56 wonderful years together. They settled on the family farm on Red River Drive and ran a turkey, hog and chicken operation selling eggs to many Winnipeg restaurants including the Shanghai, where he was known as the Egg Man. Peter was a long time member of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Parish in Howden. In 1971, Peter took on a new challenge and entered the hotel business. He and Rita owned and operated the King’s Hotel for 21 years until illness forced him to retire. A great joy to Peter and Rita was sponsoring a fastball team, which won many championships. There were also many successful shuffleboard teams that called the King’s their home. Poor health plagued Peter and in February 1994, on the recommendation of Dr. Tony Miller, Peter went to London, Ontario for cardiac assessment. Peter was placed on the heart transplant list and received a heart transplant five months later on July 21. After almost nine months in London they returned home to Winnipeg in October. Our heartfelt thanks go out to Dr. Tony Miller from St. Boniface Hospital and the University Hospital of Western Ontario Transplant Team for their excellent care. Because of their support and dedication, Peter (or Didi as the grandchildren called him) enjoyed 17 more years and saw many milestones. He had the opportunity to witness all of his grandchildren graduate from high school, one graduate from university, one from college, one married and the birth of a great grandchild. For this he was truly thankful. In 1993, Peter and Rita began another business venture. Their love of flowers made Bartmanovich Greenhouses a perfect choice. When Peter had to leave suddenly for London, Glenn and Ralph took good care of the greenhouse. The business has blossomed over the years and gave Peter great joy even when he was unable to participate in the operation. Peter and Rita loved to travel. They spent their 25th Wedding Anniversary traveling through Fiji, Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. Some of Peter and Rita’s favorite destinations were Mexico, Hawaii and Cuba. They also enjoyed cruises and for Peter the one through the Panama Canal was especially memorable as was their 50th Anniversary cruise to Alaska. In 2006, Peter’s last trip was traveling by motor home with Rita, Kim and her family to fulfill his dream of seeing the Golden Gate Bridge. Peter loved Christmas. Out of that love, the Dickens Village arose. Peter spent countless hours setting up the houses, placing the people in just the right spot and adding trees, snow and waterfalls. The village grew each year and has now been incorporated as a city. The love continued to grow and expanded outdoors. First hundreds and now thousands of Christmas lights adorn the yard each year. In recent years, even though ill health prevented him from participating in the set up, he continued to supervise the design of both the village and the yard. Every year, hundreds of cars pass through the yard to view the spectacle and many stop in to tour the village. Peter was happy to share their labour of love with friends and acquaintances. Peter loved curling, playing cards and board games. His favourites were Hearts, Skip Bo, Canasta, Cribbage, Pinochle and Rummicube. His competitive nature was evident when he played, even with family. The family would like to give our sincerest thanks to the South Eastman Home Care and Palliative Care staff for their excellent service and care of Peter during his long, difficult battle with Supranuclear Palsy. Many of those workers have become dear friends and continued to visit Peter every week even though they were no longer involved in his care. We would also like to thank Dr. M. L. Cummings for going above and beyond in his care of Peter. Thank you to Doctors Doug Hobson and Shelley Zieroth for their exceptional care as well. A special thank you to all our dear friends and family for their unselfish support over the years. Prayers will be held on Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 7:00 p.m. with Deacon Bill Woodbeck officiating. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated on Monday, November 7, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. with Father Kevin Bettens officiating. Viewing will take place one hour before Mass. Both Prayer and Mass will be held at Mary Mother of the Church, 85 Kirkbridge Drive in Winnipeg. Interment will follow at St. Joseph’s Cemetery on Red River Drive. The Pallbearers will be his eight grandchildren, whom Peter adored. They were such an important part of his life that he used the first initial from each of their first names from youngest to oldest to name his company BLAMSCAE. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Peter’s memory to the Manitoba Transplant Program or a charity of your choice. The greatest gift to Peter would be for you to sign your organ donor card.