Obituary of MICHAEL KARPENKO

MIKE KARPENKO

After a hard fought battle with cancer, Mike Karpenko peacefully passed away at home on Tues Dec 8, 2020 with his wife, kids, and favourite pups by his side.

He will be lovingly remembered & sadly missed by his wife of 42 years Debbie, kids Chelsea & Michael (Jennifer), grandkids Sophie & Nina, grandpuppies Ellie & Judy, brothers Bill & Paul, sisters Mary, Verna (Henry) & Lydia (Dave), sister-in-law Stacey, and many nieces, nephews, & friends.

He was predeceased by his parents Stephen & Mary, brothers Pete, John & Stevie, and sisters Lena & Helen.

Mike was born March 30, 1955 & grew up on the family hobby farm in West Kildonan. He never lost his love for farm animals & would frequently pull off the hwy to admire a herd of horses & cattle.

As a journeyman electrician, Mike worked in many places, including Rockford Illinois. In 1980, he joined CP Rail where he was employed for 40yrs. In 2018, Mike was presented the CP Rail CEO Award for Excellence in Operative Safety, something he took very seriously during his career. Known affectionately as ‘Kooby', Mike had many co-workers who appreciated his straight-shooting, quirky ways.

Mike was a man with many interests. He loved camping with the Gates, spending time at sister Lydia's cottage in Gimili, as well as sister Verna's farm in Boissevain. In his younger years, Mike spent countless hrs with buddies working on cars. His prize possession was his ’73 Camero which he still owned to date. Pumping iron led to competitive bodybuilding in the 80s and 90s, winning Mr. Manitoba and several other titles. Mike’s biggest passion was his kids activities from school to sports. He travelled to Thailand, Europe, the US, and across Canada to support & cheer them on. He took an active role in coaching several teams through the years & he was always mentoring in sports, work & life. Mike also liked fishing, playing golf & he had a great eye for finding golfballs. Mike truly loved following most sports, which was even more exciting with his daily Proline picks. In addition, Mike was an avid lover of music. Cranking up the tunes of classic rock, golden oldies, or Michael Jackson was a favourite pastime.. but no one trumped Johnny Cash. Mike loved being ‘Gigi’ to his granddaughters, who he absolutely adored. He never threw in the towel (as he would say) it was just a battle he couldn’t win. However he was able to fulfill his wish by being at home when the battle ended. In death as in life, Mike did it his way. 

Mike will be laid to rest at All Saints Cemetery.