Theodore "Ted" Bencharski

On Friday evening February 20, 2026, after a short illness, the servant of God, Theodore (Ted) Bencharski passed away peacefully at Riverview Health Centre in Winnipeg.

Ted was born on September 22, 1929 in Kessow Poland to parents Jozef and Karolina. On July 11, 1930 Ted and family departed Kessow Poland for Southampton England. They boarded the HMS Montclare, destination Canada, and arrived at the Port of Montreal where Canadian Immigration Service processed the family into Canada. Immigration records show Dad and family arriving into Canada on July 18, 1930. Tadeusz Beczarski, became Theodore (Ted) Bencharski, age 9 months, along with his mom, dad and six siblings, age 17 to 9 months. They had $250.00 with them.

They then headed for Winnipeg. The Department for Colonization and Development, managed by the CPR had offices across the country which encouraged farmers to immigrate to Canada and cultivate Western Canada. At the Winnipeg office the family was allotted a land settlement and continued onto that settlement which was located near the town of Elfros, Saskatchewan. They settled in with the help from other European and Icelandic immigrants, and enjoyed a good upbringing and life that included building and attending churches, schools, dance halls and community centres.

In 1950 Ted worked in Churchill at the military base with his brother in-law Albert Ledger (Ted's sister Stella’s husband) where they drove plumbers around to work at military structures. When that work was finished Ted was given the option to work in Thompson at the new nickel mine, still in operation today, but choose to head back to Saskatchewan where Ted met Margaret.Margaret’s family were immigrants from Ukraine and settled in much the same way as Ted’s family did, a couple of towns away in Wynyard. They met at a dance in Wishart Hall and they married six months later, November 11, 1953 at St Michael's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Wishart, Saskatchewan.

Not long after they married, they headed to Toronto, where Margaret’s brother Mike Lalach and wife Rose lived. Ted worked a night shift filling gas and maintenance work on taxi cabs. Margaret worked at Honest Eds with Rose. They stayed for 6 months but Dad was needed back on the farm so they headed back home for a couple months. Farming wasn’t for them, so they relocated to Winnipeg on Manitoba Ave where Genevieve and Jeff were born. Their final move was in 1962 to a small house with big yard in St Vital, 73 Hindley Ave, where they lived to this very day. They added two additions to the house and one addition to the family. Darren was born at that time.

They raised Genevieve, Jeffrey and Darren there. Mom stayed at home during the early years raising the kids while Dad worked.

Ted worked for the City of Winnipeg Parks and Recreation at a few locations, one location was St Vital Park. During Ted's later years we would drive through the park while Dad would talk about times he remembered working there as a young man, and also bringing the family there for picnics and toboggan slides. Ted retired from the City of Winnipeg as Superintendent for Regional Parks and Operations Area 5.

Ted was a wonderful husband, father, Gido, uncle, parishioner and volunteer. Ted was a loving, gentle man. As a dedicated husband Ted and Margaret celebrated 72 years of marriage together in 2025. They did many things together, raising the family, caring for grandchildren, enjoying great-grandchildren, helping family.

As a loving father, Ted was always there for the kids and family. Whether it was attending our sports at Norberry community club, or helping at our homes, or the lodge. Dad was always there for the family.

While the grandchildren were young, Gido helped to look after them while parents were working. Gido always enjoyed when grandchildren, great grandchildren and family came by to visit.

Ted was a supportive uncle to many nieces and nephews, who in the early years, coming from farms in Saskatchewan, needed a place to stay until they could find a job and a place of their own.

Ted was an active parishioner at Sts. Peter and Paul for 60 years, and a Knight of Columbus. Together Ted and Margaret attended church service, volunteered their time with different roles within the church, worked bingos, made perogies, sampled a few, and visited seniors in personal care homes.

Ted enjoyed the outdoors, working in the yard or garden at home, or maintaining all the boulevard planters that the parks department would plant. In retirement Ted worked at a condo building near the Victoria Hospital maintaining the grounds by trimming trees, planting shrubs and caring for flower beds. Ted always provided good horticulture advice to the family, recommending trees, shrubs and flowers and how to care for them.

Ted enjoyed fishing, especially at Booster Lake for the nice Pickerel or Caliper Lake Lodge for the Crappies. That is where grandchildren Alanna and Shawn grew up, their dad Clary enjoyed fishing for Crappies with Ted. Margaret and Ted, along with Clary’s parents Arnie and Efie, helped out at the lodge for many years, cleaning cabins and enjoying life out there.

Ted enjoyed visiting Darren and Sandra’s place in Ste Anne where Ted would help out with some project, or simply enjoy the company of family, the dogs, horses, sometimes chickens, pigs or whatever Sandra, the local dogcatcher at the time would have over!

Ted also enjoyed card games like 3-spot or cribbage. Right to the end Ted was able to play a fine game of crib where Ted and son Jeff would play in the room at the Grace Hospital. It was only his hearing and eyesight that started to fail him. Especially his eyesight, as Jeff had to peg for Dad, and Ted still managed to win most of the time!

In retirement, Ted and Margaret helped family out as needed, continued volunteering with many church activities, but also found time for travel to Toronto visiting Mike and Rose, to Vancouver visiting Pete and Mildred, to Saskatchewan visiting family, and travel to enjoy warmer climate in Arizona.

A few years ago Ted, Margaret, Jeff and Sharon, attended Margaret’s Lalach family reunion in Wynyard. We were able to locate both homesteads, which brought back countless memories for dad, mom and Jeff as well. It was Sharon’s first time there so of course we had to stop by the Wynyard Hotel where in the past Ted would visit Uncle John who lived there for 50 years!

As the last sibling from a family of ten, Ted is predeceased by his entire family. Parents Jozef and Karolina - sisters Mary, Annie, Minnie, Millie and Stella – brothers Frank, Peter, Paul, and Nick.

Left to cherish many fond memories are Ted's daughter Genevieve; son Jeffrey (Sharon), son Darren (Sandra) – Grandchildren: Alanna (Curt), Shawn (Wawa), Ashley (Brendon), Michael (Sydney), Alyssa (Theo), Braidon, Christine (Michael) and Jessica (Eric) – great grandchildren, McKenna, Colson, Koralynn, Zyaire, Malik, Claire and Logan.

Service will be held on Tuesday March 3, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, 390 Marion Street, followed by a lunch gathering in the Church hall. An interment with the family will take place later in the week at Green Acres Funeral Home and Cemetery.

Thank you to all for attending Ted’s service. We mourn Dad's loss but celebrate his life.