Edward Philip Hudek

Peacefully in his sleep at Grace Hospital on July 25th in his 102 year. Ed is predeceased by his wife Christine Louise (Chamard), his son William Michael, his parents Henry and Mary Hudek, his sister Mary Agnes, his brothers John Francis and Henry Joseph and his grand- daughter in law Carole. He is survived by his two sisters Margaret Lommer of Regina and Jane Mooney of Vancouver.

He is also survived and lovingly remembered by his children, Mary Forster(Ken), John(Irene), Joan Embleton(Dwight), Henry(Vivian Chabot), Gordon(Cleo Fletcher), Christine Vieweg and Philip(Kim) as well as grandchildren Scott McConnell, Rowland Forster(Jan), Andrew Forster(Line Comte), Michael Hudek, David Embleton(Kimberly), Jeanne Hudek, Margaret Coish(Christian), Katherine Van Mierlo(Steven), Monica Burfoot(Krisjan), Lisa Vieweg(Michael Blanchard), Kathleen Turner(Dan), Timothy Hudek(Vivian Li), Sara Berger(Kurt), Matthew Hudek, Richard Vieweg(Renee), Thomas Hudek(Tessa), Laura Hudek(Cam Sprange), Carolyn Tetlock and Natasha Hudek(Mustafa Farhad). There are also 19 and ¾ great grandchildren, Tobie, Mason, Parker, Benjamin, Rubee, Sophia, Carter, Ryder, Michael, Aaron, Emmett, Orrin, Ada, Minerva, Brielle, Will, Cosima, Brereton, Finn and baby boy Turner arriving in September.

Ed was born December 5th, 1916 in Hafford, Saskatchewan the fourth child of Henry and Mary (Melling) and grew up on his parent’s homestead in Hafford before attending the University of Saskatchewan where he received a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture degree in 1940. He met the love of his life and his future wife Christine Chamard at St. Thomas More College at the University. They were married in 1942. After spending some months doing Extension Services (short courses) in Interior BC for the BC Department of Agriculture, Ed returned home to work the family farm and associated research station and to lecture and run laboratories in Agriculture Engineering at the U of S.

In 1956 Ed was recruited by the Government of Manitoba to initiate an agricultural extension program for farmers throughout the province and he moved his family to Winnipeg where they resided in Riverview for four decades. Ed started the Agriculture Engineering branch of the Department of Agriculture, was instrumental in establishing Rural Water Services and the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute as well as being a founding member of the Canadian Society of Agrologists. He was active in the design of vegetable storages, hay handling equipment and hog raising facilities in the Manitoba climate as well as coaching and managing teams in the Canadian and World Plowing Championships. Other skill sets included loose livestock housing, farm safety, farm drainage and rural water systems. He chaired the Manitoba Water Services Board, the Farm Machinery Board, the Milk Control Board and the Crown Lands Appeal Board and guided several programs and pieces of legislation forward. He retired from the provincial government in 1981 after serving as Chief Agriculture Engineer, Director of Technical Services, Associate Deputy, Assistant Deputy and then Deputy Minister of the Department of Agriculture.

During this time he was also active on the Parish Council of Our Lady of Victory Parish (OLV) and OLV School Board and became the Manitoba representative on the Board of the Canadian Catholic Organization for Development and Peace(CCODP); this in conjunction with raising eight children, building a cottage at Albert Beach as well as building a large addition on to the family’s Riverview home, restoring an antique tractor for the Manitoba Agricultural Museum in Austin and innumerable projects and services for extended family and friends.

After retiring, Ed and Chris were contracted to manage an agricultural project at Sim-Sim, Sudan for thirty months and Ed learned how sorghum was grown in a desert with one rainy season. His two and a half years with the project were the most successful and he and Chris developed close friendships with several Sudanese families. He also performed an assessment of a CIDA project in Tanzania in 1988.

Ed has been honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Achievement award from the University of Saskatchewan, is a member of the Manitoba Agriculture Hall of Fame, a fellow of several professional societies and in 1971 was awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal by Pope Paul VI, for distinguished service to the church.

Ed spent the last eleven and a half years at Dakota House and the family is most appreciative of the care and attention he received there from both the staff and residents.

If so desired donations in Edwards’s name may be made to the St. Boniface Hospital Research Foundation.

Prayers will be held at Green Acres Funeral Home, Hwy 1 East and Navin Road on Tuesday, August 7th at 7:30 p.m. with funeral mass to follow at Christ The King Church, 847 St. Mary’s Road on Wednesday, August 8th at 11:30 a.m. with Father Gerry Ward officiating. Interment will be beside Christine and Bill at Ste. Solange Cemetery in Hafford, SK.