Obituary of EUGENE VICTOR PILAT

EUGENE PILAT

May 24^th,1946 to November 25^th,2021

With breaking hearts and compassion, we watched and supported Eugene as he was leaving for his next journey on Thursday November 25^th at Seven Oaks Hospital.

Eugene was born on the Pilat Homestead in Mink Creek, MB, to Mike and Pauline (Sawicki) Pilat. Eugene’s early years were spent on the Pilat and Sawicki Homesteads until the family made their way to Winnipeg in 1952. He went to school in the city, but learnt many life lessons, morals and standards in the summer months and holidays on his Baba and Gido’s farm in Mink Creek along with his little brother Stan and Uncle Jim.

His parents along with his Baba and Gido taught him to be the honest, hardworking, kind, and compassionate man that he was. His employment years started with working at the Corner Grocery Store then onto a commercial laundry, Gardewine Trucking and finally Claude Neon/Pattison Sign Company where he learned to make and install neon and commercial signs all over Winnipeg, Manitoba, Ontario, and Saskatchewan.

Eugene didn’t just work full time for a pay cheque, he had a natural talent for building and fixing things. He totally renovated our family home on Arlington Street from top to bottom. Ultimately, with the help of his dad and friends, he built a unique rec room for all the infamous parties at 733 Arlington. If Eugene was having a party, everyone showed up, dancing the night away until the wee hours of the morning. Friends and relatives admired his work and asked him to build rec rooms for them too. If you needed something fixed or built all you had to do was pick up the phone and call Eugene, many, many people did.

Eugene made countless friends and acquaintances from Winnipeg to Swan River. His friends and relatives were dear to him, and he kept in touch with everyone. Aside from partying in the city, you knew exactly where he was going to be every long weekend: spending time around Mink Creek, Ethelbert, Garland and Pine River.

Eugene loved his pets Chico and Lassie, cars, fishing, camping, stock car races, hunting for antiques, going to auctions, yard sales and finding free stuff. In his mind if it was free, you had to take it, because you never knew when you might need it. He’d pickup broken lawn mowers amongst many other things and made them work again. In his later years he had amassed so many free parts and things that if his friends needed something they knew to call Eugene because he either had what they were looking for or knew where to get it.

In 1980 Eugene met the love of his life, Stephie Fyk. They were inseparable and made it official on July 31st, 1982. This wasn’t just the pairing of two people; it was also the pairing of two families. The Pilat and Fyk families became one happy family. Man, that was a big wedding at the Pine River Curling Club! Friends and relatives came from near and far to celebrate the big day! Actually, we celebrated for four days: Ukrainian Style. Eugene cherished and loved Stephie with all his heart. He was her rock and provider in the early days and she was his rock and provider in his later days.

In 1983 Eugene and Stephie purchased their forever home in Northwest Winnipeg. Just like both of their parents their door was always open. If you needed a place to stay in the city or were just dropping in for a visit, you were welcomed with food and drink. Eugene also loved to cook and experiment with recipes. Our Mom was a fantastic cook, which inspired his love of food and trying to recreate the dishes she was famous for.

Long weekends, holidays and Ukrainian Christmases were spent in Garland at the Fyk Farm. This was his happy place, helping his parents in law and brothers in law around the family farm. Every year while at the farm he was out hunting for mushrooms and berries when in season. Eugene decided that he needed a party place in Garland and purchased an old Viscount Airplane. Our Dads, his brothers in law and many friends helped him disassemble and move the plane to Garland. Once it was put together again and the inside renovated, Garland had a new landmark and Eugene had a new party place to entertain everyone that came to see it.

As a brother, Stan and I along with Don, Ben and Ken couldn’t have picked a better one. Eugene was always there for us unconditionally. I love you was hard for him to say, but we all felt it and knew how much he loved us.

Eugene and Stephie cherished their nieces and nephews as their own. He was a cool uncle always sharing and teaching the things that he had learnt and experienced in his life. Due to distance their visits with Stan, Warren and Jeff were immensely cherished. To Anna, Hannah, Joe and Avery that lived a lot closer, Eugene and Stephie were a very big part of their lives. With great love and respect, they will all remember Uncle and his “ways”.

In his retirement years, he became grumpy as he couldn’t do everything like he used to due to health issues, but underneath that tough, say it like it is, grumpy exterior, his heart never changed. Eugene loved and cherished his family and friends and would still try to do everything he could to help and make our lives easier and celebrate the lives of all that went before him, it tore him up to lose anyone. He will now have the best of both worlds, when he gets to where he’s going, I’m sure he will be looking to reunite with family and friends, and he will be watching over all of us that are left behind.

Eugene will be watching over his girls, Stephie, his wife of 39 years and Lassie, who brought happiness and companionship to him in the last four years. His brother Stan and sons; Warren (Kristy), Mason, Beckham and Palmer, Jeff (Danni), sister Bonnie (Ken) daughter Hannah and son Joe. Mother-in-Law, Helen Fyk, brothers in Law, Don (Darlene) Don’s daughter Anna, Ben (Amy) daughter Avery.

Eugene was predeceased by his parents Mike and Pauline Pilat, father-in -law Steve Fyk and niece Kenzie Fyk.

On Tuesday, November 30, 2021, we will be gathering at Cropo Funeral Chapel at 2:00 P.M. to remember, celebrate and pray for Eugene as he starts the next part of his journey. Prayers to be led by Father Oleg Bodnarski. As per his request cremation has taken place and his remains will be interred in the Garland Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery in the spring.

If so desired, donations can be made to the Garland Hall or the Garland Ukrainian Catholic Cemetery (Box 6 Garland, MB. R0L 0W0), CancerCare Manitoba, Heart and Stroke Foundation or Diabetes Canada.

Eugene we all wish you peace, rest and healing, your struggles are over.

Vichnaya Pamyat

The service may be joined virtually by accessing the website www.cropo.com, search for Eugene’s obituary, click on his name and then scroll down to the Livestream link.