Obituary of JACK K. SHEWCHUK

JACK K. SHEWCHUK Peacefully, on July 17, 2016, Jack passed away at Concordia Hospital at the age of 78. Jack was predeceased by his wife Allyson, parents Rose and Jack Shewchuk. He will be remembered by his children Nancy (Bonnie), Craig, Jack, Susan (Rene); sisters Joyce (John) McCartney and Audrey Beaupre. Jack was born on October 4, 1937 and was raised in Winnipeg and lived in Elmwood. He attended Lord Selkirk and Tech Voc Schools. He played lacrosse for the All Stars Western Junior “A” Team in 1955 and was inducted into the Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum in 2012. He coached hockey and ringette for many years. In his early years, he worked at Canada Packers and then pursued a career in sales. He was well known in the sales industry and worked for Gerber Foods, Rowntree, Hartz Mountain and for Julius Schmidt. Jack (aka Rubber Jack) worked for 37 years in Pharmaceutical Sales, as a travelling Sales Manager for Manitoba/Ontario/Saskatchewan. He loved being on the road and made many friends in his travels. There was nothing that Jack could not sell you – whether you needed it or even wanted it. His boisterous personality and sense of humour attracted many acquaintances and friends. He made people smile with his endless jokes and always introduced himself as “Jake the Snake from Falcon Lake”. He loved meeting people, and would provide you with the latest update on the world news and political affairs. You would always be guaranteed to walk away with a smile – he was someone you would never forget. Jack loved horse racing at the Assiniboia Downs and gambling at the Regent Avenue Casino “bet heavy, win big”. He spent many hours studying his racing bible and teaming up with his buddies to win the big one. Jack and Allyson travelled to Las Vegas, Barbados and Dominican Republic and they had a cottage in Grand Marais, MB for 40 years. He loved roaming the front beach and chatting with everyone. He loved Garage Sales and if you happened to get in his car – you would be sure to be taken on a 5 hour tour (gambling included) and you were sure to leave with the knowledge of every bird and their habitat in Grand Beach. He loved the action at the beach and was still going to Beach Parties at age 78! “Big Jack” will be truly missed by all who knew him, and will be remembered for his character and zest for life. Allyson and Jack were married for 50 years and he missed her dearly when she passed in 2012. Allyson was the only person he listened to and you could always hear her say “Jack, be quiet”. They will be together now. Dad, you will always be remembered as a strong, hard-working man and thank you for all the times you were there, your support and all that we shared – Love You, Rest in Peace, you will be deeply missed. The family thanks Dr. Isaac for his kindness and the supporting care he provided Dad over the years and to Dr. Loepp for her compassion on Dad’s final day, along with the staff at Concordia Hospital for their care over the last few weeks. Cremation has taken place and service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory may be made to the Canadian Diabetes Association. “Just talk amongst yourselves, my friends, And share a toast or two, For I am sure you will remember How I loved to joke with you. Don’t worry about mourning me, I was never easy to offend. Feel free to share my stories And we will have a good laugh at the End”