Gerald (Jerry) Grewinski

November 1, 1943 ~ June 20, 2019

On June 20, 2019, at the age of 75, Jerry left us suddenly even though we thought he would pull through like he had so many times before.

He will be missed and remembered by his wife Mary Ann of 42 years, his daughters, Farrah (Chad) and Wynter (Devon), five grandchildren, Eva, Noah, Milton, Myla, and Violet, brothers, Elmer, Don (Holly), Ron and David (Eileen), in-laws, nieces, nephews and many friends.

He was predeceased by his parents and sisters-in-law, Pat and Bev.

Born in Thunder Bay, Ontario to Steve & Evelyn Grewinski, he was the eldest of 5 boys. The family moved to Grewinski Corner when Dad was young, Bird River was his home for over 70 years. Life was hard back then, he started logging with his Steve in the bush at a young age. It was there he developed his love for machines and trucks. By the age of 12, he was driving the logging truck and could barely see over the steering wheel. He had only a Grade 8 education, but he was wise and knowledgeable about many things. He was an avid reader; he loved biographies and Canadian history books. 

As a child, Dad had lots of responsibilities around the family farm. It was his job to feed all the animals before going to school in the morning. He loved all animals, especially dogs, with our St. Bernard’s being his favourite. He walked 6 miles roundtrip every day to and from the Poplar Bay school. 

He had many, many friends and acquaintances – he met people all over Manitoba on his travels. He knew people everywhere we went. He drove over every highway in Manitoba & Northern Ontario, some of Saskatchewan too. He spent many winters away from his family, navigating the winter roads of Northern Manitoba. He knew every twist, turn & bump in our Eastern Manitoba roads.

He was dedicated to his work-his business-his trucks. His work was his hobby and his hobby was his work. He took great pride in keeping all of his equipment clean and repaired, parking those 4 semi-trucks in a perfect row every time they came back home. 

Dad enjoyed the simple things life had to offer, like a good home cooked meal or reading the paper while enjoying a hot coffee. He did make time for his grandchildren, watching them grow and play brought him happiness. In earlier years, he loved going to Vegas with Mom and being ‘The Gambler’ for a few days every year. He also enjoyed a beach vacation when we could convince him to go. He liked going for coffee at Drifters with the LdB crew. He also spent 25 years volunteering for Ducks Unlimited Canada and loved a good heavy equipment auction sale. 

Thank you to the fantastic staff at Pinawa Hospital, who have cared for Jerry many times over the past 5 years. Thank you to our Mom (his wife), MaryAnn, for going above and beyond in trying to restore his health while continuing to support his need to work. Thank you to Dad’s loyal employees, Grant, Dave & Larry, who helped to keep his dream alive. 

Our hearts are broken, our lives forever changed with him gone. Looking at all he left behind is painful. He was a good man and a good Dad/Grandpa, gone before we were ready for him to go. 

We left your boots on Dad, so you can always keep on truckin’. 

A Funeral Service and Celebration of Jerry’s Life will be held on Tuesday, July 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Lac du Bonnet Community Centre with interment to follow in the Lac du Bonnet Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Heart & Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, 1379 Kenaston Blvd., Winnipeg, Manitoba R3P 2T5.

www.soberingfuneralchapel.com

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