John Sokalski

He will be greatly missed by his son, David (Thongchanh) Sokalski, and daughter Laurie (Dan) Dubé, his grandchildren Andrew, Susan, Chantal, Caitlin, and Brooke-Lyn, great grandson; Trey as well as many nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 47 years, Karen Sokalski (Dixon); his parents Frank and Jessie Sokalski (Lukasiewicz); and his siblings Emily, Edward "Ed", Benjamin "Ben", Stanley "Stan", Thomas "Tom", Walter, and Raymond "Ray".

John was born on December 30, 1936, in Elkhorn where he grew up and attended school. He went on to serve five years in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a telecom air technician, which prepared him for his 25-year career with Manitoba Telephone System (MTS), retiring in 1991. Earlier in his working life, he also held roles with Manitoba Hydro, as a diamond driller in Uranium City, and in seasonal positions at Sandy Hook Golf Club and Canadian Aviation Electronics. With his wife Karen, he owned and operated John’s Place, a bowling and billiards business.

John met Karen in Gimli, and they married in Souris on November 27, 1965. Together, they raised two children, David and Laurie, and lived in Pine Falls, Flin Flon, Treherne, and Portage la Prairie. After Karen’s passing, John moved to Calgary to be closer to family for his final years.

John loved golfing, playing pool, bridge or cribbage, and cheering on the Toronto Blue Jays.

A Funeral Service will be held at South Calgary Funeral Centre, 12700 Macleod Trail South, Calgary, AB, on Thursday, August 21, at 2:00 p.m. Following the service, friends and family are welcome to gather at Dan & Laurie’s home.

As expressions of sympathy, donations in John’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Calgary for Dementia research or Parkinson Canada.