Rudolph Rudy Joseph Oravec

Rudolph “Rudy” Joseph Oravec passed away on Friday, March 15, 2013 at the Abbotsford Regional Hospital in his 89th year. Survived by his loving wife, Mary, of 63 years. Predeceased by his son, David, son-in-law, Spike; survived by his daughter, Anna Burian; sons, Robert, and Patrick (Lori) and Janice; grandchildren Heath (Christy), Brandon (Marie), Brooke (Chad), Tyler (Janelle), Kacey (Mike), Vincent (Kristina), Michelle (Joel), Traci (Taylor), Karlene (Lindsey), Jessica; great-grandchildren Ella, Olivia, Nathan, Camryn, Sophia, Vienna, Mariah, Braden, Kyra, Kaelyn and Kesler; brother Edward (Velma), sister Mary (Lewis).

Rudy was born in Velka, Chocolna, Czechoslavakia on December 29, 1924 to Michael and Teresa Oravec. At the age of 5 they came to Canada and lived in Vancouver and settled in Surrey. In the past 40 years, Rudy and Mary settled in Abbotsford. Rudy was a veteran of WWII. He did his training in Petawawa, Ontario and fought in Sicily and France, Holland, and Germany. He was stationed in England where he was trained to drive the tanks where he was a part of the armoured tank division.

As a young man, Rudy started off as a labourer on the farm clearing land and doing agricultural chores.

He took the Marine diesel engineer course through the military and worked as pump man in an oil hauler after he was discharged. Rudy was away from home on the tug boats and decided to work close to home at Alaska Pine Saw Mill, New Westminster. He wanted to be closer to the love of his life, Mary. At the saw mill he was a planer feeder and then he became a planer mechanic. For 23 years, Rudy and Mary enjoyed their hobby farming in Surrey. They loved gardening and their farm animals. From June to the end of the summer for 7 years during his saw mill years, Rudy had a custom tractor haying business.

Rudy was an avid worker who enjoyed maintaining his machinery and was a welder, mill-wright; his tools were valuable to him.

Rudy enjoyed the flea market and met many friends and acquired many treasures from his flea market days.

They moved to Abbotsford 40 years ago. Here Rudy built a 40 x 60 two level barn with the help of Mary. They had many fruit trees and small fruit; they created their 2 acre garden growing roses, rare trees and plants.