Obituary of SAM LACHO

SAM LACHO After a brief illness and with family at his side, Sam Lacho passed away at the Pinawa Hospital on November 5, 2012 at the age of 96 years. Sam was born on November 2, 1916 to Peter and Mary (Zimak) Lechow on the family homestead near Hamrlik, a small community in the RM of Bifrost; west of Arborg, Manitoba. He was the second of eight children. Sam attended New Valley School to Grade 8 and left home at the age of 13, finding work as a waterboy during the construction of the Seven Sisters Dam. He then joined his cousin Marion Folta and worked several years in bush camps for Sigurdsons Lumber, cutting pulp and floating log booms on the Winnipeg River. In 1937 Sam also studied Diesel Mechanics. In 1942, Sam enlisted in the army at Arborg, Manitoba and served as a tank driver with the Ontario Regiment. Sam entered the war as a Trooper in North Africa, spending 3 years in the front lines of Sicily and Italy and as a senior tank crew member in Belgium and the liberation of Holland. In 1946, Sam met and married Mary Sawka, a nurse working at Deer Lodge Veterans Hospital. They settled on Cathedral Avenue in North Winnipeg to raise their family. Neighbors became good friends. In 1957, Sam obtained a cottage lot in the Lac du Bonnet area that he had been so familiar to him. In those post war years, it was at their cabin that Sam and Mary enjoyed the basics of life and countless hours of peace and tranquility while fishing, tending their rock gardens and in regular visits with their neighbors. Later in life, Sam and Mary began making annual trips to the beaches of Hawaii and Cuba. Sam worked as a Steel Fitter with Vulcan Iron Works, Bridge and Tank Western, Manitoba Bridge, and retired from Dominion Bridge in 1977. After the death of his wife Mary in 2004, Sam moved to Bona Vista Lodge in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba. In 2006, as the years of hard work started to show their toll, Sam moved into the Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home. Sam was a master of ingenuity and improvising and could thrive with a minimal of resources. Items people would make out of wood, Sam would design and build out of steel. Despite the odds, Sam never approached any task or situation as being impossible to accomplish. He truly enjoyed life itself and even in his last days would greet people with his familiar smile. The last few weeks and hours of Sam’s life were not always kind to him. Even so, Sam never gave up hope or the fight. Sam was predeceased by his wife Mary, infant son Leonard; infant brother Peter, brothers Mike, John and Nick and sister Lena Ribachuk. Sam Lacho is survived by his son Gerry (Margaret) and granddaughters Christine and Sandra; son Dennis (Marie Therese) and grandsons Daniel and David. Also surviving are sister Anne Pongoski , brother Andy (Adele) Lacko and sister-in-law Pearl Lacko. A special thanks is expressed for past care that Sam received from the dedicated Dr. Richard Ven Gend. Special thanks are also expressed to caring staff of the Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home, where Sam resided for the past 6 years. Appreciation and thanks are also expressed to friends Tony and Ali Eason, the Lac du Bonnet Legion, and the Notre Dame du Lac Roman Catholic Church for their care and visits over the years. All will miss Sam’s gleaming blue eyes and smile of gratitude. Funeral Service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, November 9, 2912 at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main Street, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Father Isidore Dziadyk, OSBM will officiate. Interment to follow in Holy Family Cemetery. Flowers are gratefully declined. If so desired, a donation may be made to a charity of one’s choice, or to the Saint Nicholas Church Building Fund. Rest in peace Dad and Grandpa - you deserve it for a job well done. We love you and miss you.