Frank William Badowsky

To start off I would like to thank each and every one of you for coming and joining us for a time of reflection on some of the very special memories and moments that we as a family have had with our dad. We have all had the privilege and honour of living and sharing our lives with our father. He was our provider, protector, counselor, friend, and sometimes a fortress in disguise, in some of the hardest and most difficult times in our lives.

So thank you so very much Dad for your patience, kindness, love, understanding, wisdom and strength through all our years and your commitment and your support to your children when they went through difficult and desperate times.

DAD GROWING UP IN SASKATCHEWAN / EDMONTON

My dad was born in a small town called Bruno, located east of Saskatoon, In Saskatchewan where his life begins with his parents John and Josephine Badowsky and older brother Walter Badowsky. Dad resided in Saskatchewan until the age of 4 to 5 years old and then moved to Edmonton, Alberta where my dad spent some of his adolescent years growing up.

EDMONTON / CALGARY

When arriving in Edmonton, Dad’s father John opened a small store / house where Dad and brother Walter lived for a short time due to a fire that burnt the business and house down. They then decided to move to the Bonnie Doon area where Dad’s father worked for Canada Packers. After living in the Bonnie Doon area for 6 to 7 years, Dad’s youngest brother and sister were born, Peter and Elaine. Dad grew up in the Bonnie Doon area going to Ruthford Junior High School. Dad was involved in hockey and baseball. He played for the Bonnie Doon Mights, Peewee, Bantam, Midgets with brother Walt.

Dad always had a talent for getting into trouble. When Dad’s father was going to give Dad a spanking with the belt, Dad would stuff comic books down his pants to pad his butt, so the sting of the belt was not as bad. This only worked a few times until Dad’s father figured it out when he noticed the difference between Dad’s brother Walt and Dad’s butt. Not a good day for Dad.

It was also known that when Dad was going to junior high, the principal dragged Dad into the office and told Dad to go to the library to read books instead of getting into trouble when he was bored or completed his tests and assignments earlier than the other students. Dad’s response was “I already read them all.” So the principal started pulling out random books and asking questions about them. Dad appeared to have read them when he gave the correct answers. Dad probably got lucky. Dad was very smart and clever and was a very fast learner. Dad loved to read, he was also very good at math and his comprehension was far above normal.

CALGARY

My dad at that time just finished one year at U of A in Edmonton for his civil engineering and decided to work the summer for a survey company in Calgary for the CPR. My mom and her girlfriends were also working as tella operators for CPR at the time of the move to Calgary. The CPR provided special events for their staff and employees throughout the year and one of those events was a bowling tournament. My dad wanted to go to the function because he had the hot’s for one of Mom’s girlfriends (Dagnee) but as the evening progressed, my mom and dad began to take an interest in each other and as fate would have it, it was not long after that, they were both dating. This took Dad and Mom on this incredible journey of thrills, spills, and chills.

MONTANA / CALGARY

After Dad and Mom dated for a while, Dad decided to move to Bozeman, Montana to go to the university to comp his degree in civil engineering. While Dad was in his last year of school, Mom got pregnant with me, and Mom told Dad that there was no way I was going to be born in America and that I was going to be born in Canada. I was born in Canada on Nov. 17, 1962 and Dad and Mom married prior to me being born which was on Feb. 15, 1962. I was a legitimate child and a Canadian thanks to Dad and Mom.

CALGARY / EDMONTON

Dad and Mom were now living in Calgary where I and my sister Dana were born. Dad went back to work and was short a couple of courses to comp his degree and Mom went back to work at the CPR, with the aid of a babysitter to help her out during the day time. Dad and Mom spent 4 years in Calgary before moving to Edmonton so that we were close to Dad’s family and his mother. Dad’s mom helped with me and Dana while Dad and Mom continued to work. It was not long after Mark and Marni were born and Dad and Mom were full time parents with 4 children.

Dad worked for a chemical company called Doyel Chemical in southeast Edmonton, before making a decision to go to California or Fort McMurray for a better career opportunity and better pay. Dad also had a table cover business while working for Doyel Chemical. Dad and his brother Walter managed a lot of the bars in Edmonton. Putting cotton covers over the top of tables, along with rags for the bar or mechanic shops. He used laundry mats on the weekend to clean and wash them and used cigarette boxes to transport them. He had his own seamstress for repairs and making new covers and rags. Dad made good money by cutting corners with his undercover operation using his garage as a sweat shop and child labor. I and Dana age 10 and 12 had to go into the garage and thread a rubber white band with a big needle through a seam around the table cover so it would stay on the table cover and 2 cents for folding one rag. We would do 200 table covers a day easy, 4 to 6 hours and then folding covers and rags. Then he would take us to the laundry mat at night to help wash and fold the covers. He would also take me and Dana downtown on Skid Row where we saw the craziest things and people from inside the back of Dads green station wagon with the doors locked. This was Dads idea of giving Mom a break and keeping us out of trouble while he delivered covers and took the used ones. I and Dana were petrified from all the druggies and drug addicts, plus homeless and crazy people. We would hide in the empty cigarette boxes while Dad got back. Dad's therapy for not being lazy and finishing school, and getting a job. “Trust me it worked”. Dana would always see her favorite person and say “Brock look, It’s dirty Sally again, she's coming over to the car, hurry and hide!”

EDMONTON / FORT MCMURRAY

Dad and Mom lived in Edmonton for approximately 10 years before all of us moved to Fort McMurray in 1977 for Dad’s new job opportunity. He was 39 years old when he started working for Northward Developments which was a surveying company. I am sure there were moments where Mom was thinking “what the heck are we doing in this dirt road hick town” where the winters were long and cold and the summers very short. There was one road in and one road out and 400 km to the city of Edmonton. Dad spent the next 20 years raising his wonderful children and our dog named Towser. There was never a dull moment between dealing with his wonderful, outgoing kids and that Casanova dog and lady killer Towser. That mutt had all kinds of lady friends in the neighborhood and would come home smelling like a polecat.

Not long after Dad was hired on with Syncrude, where he spent the next 24 years working for the company. Dad spent most of his time working in the projects and as a cost engineer. When I started Syncrude at age 27 I would visit Dad sometimes at his office and he would also invite me over for dessert if someone had a birthday or a promotion. Dad loved his sweets and desserts.

Dad and Mom would spend special days watching me pack my suitcase and leave the house for periods of time. This happened when I did something really bad. There was one time when I borrowed the car to take a cruise and hit another car and tore the bumper off. Then there was another time, when I smoked a Chech and Ching rolling paper in the bathroom and the smoke came rolling out the window and the neighbor thought the house was on fire and called the fire department. Here is one that tops them all; my mom found a bag of my pot on the kitchen floor that fell out of my underwear in the middle of the night and thought it was Dad’s tobacco and put it in his tobacco case. Dad went to work and was in a big meeting where Dad started smoking his pipe. Dad knew something was not right and left the meeting and was so stoned that he locked himself in his office until home time. When my mom told me, my suitcase was packed and I was gone for about a month. I called Mom every week and asked if I could come home and she would lovingly say “sorry Brock, not this week. He still wants to clobber you.” I remember times when Dad would keep us all in line with his belt or back of his hand and the dreaded boot up the ass. I remember Dad making us count the number of times he whacked our butts so we would remember the number to indicate how bad our crime was. I counted 100 one time. “just kidding.” whether it was a belt or Moms wooden shoe or spoon, whatever the cure for bad behavior we treated lightly.

FORT MCMURRAY

At supper time Mom would serve her famous mashed potatoes and Dana would ball her eyes out because Mom would make them lumpy sometimes and Dana did not want to eat them. Dad always said when supper was served, you finished your plate. We all knew that Dad did not mess around when it came to finishing your supper, doing chores, and your homework. Dad continued playing old timers hockey inside and outside Canada when they went on tournaments. Dad and Mom enjoyed darts, cross country skiing, cards, and board games. They loved cooking on special occasions, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays. Dad was awesome at making cabbage rolls, perogies, sauerkraut and kobasaw, borche, to name a few. Dad and Mom would make the most incredible desserts at Christmas. They had anywhere between 10 to 12 different kinds of amazing sweets. Christmas was amazing, just like in the movies but much better.

Dad worked with Syncrude up until age 61 and retired. Shortly after he drove a bread truck for IGA for 1 year and was also on town council for city of Fort McMurray for land development / leasing / residential / commercial building then at age 64 Dad went back to work for Suncor for 5 years.

KELOWNA

The day had finally come not long after Mom had left Super Store and it was time for Dad to retire, to leave Fort McMurray and move to Kelowna, close to where her mom Laverine lived. She lived up until 109 years old. Mom had finally found a spot called the Fountains where she had gotten it ready for her and Dad to move into, while Dad still worked in McMurray for Suncor. Dad had commuted back and forth from Suncor to Kelowna for about 1 year. Mom finally made Dad retire at 69 years old and Mom came back to Fort McMurray to get Dad because he was reluctant to go to Kelowna. I remember loading my transport van with the remainder of Mom’s things and Dad sitting in the back seat behind Mom with a flower pot on his lap with a fake tree in it with no room to move. Mom had so much stuff packed in the van that it was unbelievable. Mom kept reassuring me that he would be fine as long as he got out for a smoke and to use the washroom. We did make it to Kelowna safely. All our family has got together every summer in Kelowna for the past 17 years. It has been the best time of our lives, memories upon memories that we all shared to this day and they continue to go on.

SUN POINTE / KELOWNA

I have one more moment to share that is one of my dearest memories of my dear old Dad just 1 year ago prior to his passing away. We had just finished going out for supper at Denny’s located in the Sandman hotel. I was waiting to pay the bill and Dad wanted to start heading to the car. So I said OK. (Bad mistake). I paid the bill and went out to the car. No Dad. Went and checked the lobby, restaurant and both bathrooms. No Dad. I was starting to panic, I asked people in the parking lot, restaurant, front desk, nobody had seen him. So after exhausting every possibility I started over to the first hallway on the main floor of the hotel rooms. It was a very long hallway. I looked down it and I could barely see to the end of it. At the very end it looked like someone sitting on a chair in front of a suite door. The closer I got I saw Dad sitting on his walker sleeping. I said “Dad, what are you doing?” and Dad said “waiting to go into my room”. He thought he was at Sunpoint. I swear I lost 10 years off my life. Well you can guarantee I never let him out of my sight again.

12 SAYINGS FROM DAD

Whenever I and Dana would take would take Dad out he would always have his constant saying and quotes.

1. I can see you talking but I cannot hear what you're saying.

2. What are the gas prices?

3. There is an Alberta plate.

4. Where are we going tonight?

5. When you got to your destination, Dad would say “now what?” I would say “get out.” When Dad was out, Dad would say “now what?” going back to the car he would get inside and say “now what?”

6. I cannot reach or do up my seat belt.

7. You poured more wine in your glass than mine.

8. I would like another glass of wine.

9. Dad finish your meal, “I can’t chew I have no teeth,” but I would like another glass of wine.

10. Keep up the good work you’re doing a good job

11. I need to go to the bathroom, that was a very scary request, you never knew what was going to happen. Dana and I almost had to call 911 a few times with the old timer.

12. When we got to our restaurant, Dad would ask who are we waiting for? Who are we meeting? Is it just us? Are you sure? Where is Dana? Is she coming?

I REMEMBER BY MARNI

Dad would take the kids out every Christmas to find the magical Christmas tree in the middle of nowhere in -40 freezing cold weather. With the ski doo to drag the tree back home. He also had kobasa with buns and mustard to eat with a warm fire. Dad would make sure it lasted all day to get us out of the house so Mom could take a break from her crazy kids.

I REMEMBER BY DANA

One thing about dear old Dad if you ever needed stir sticks or napkins he had it covered. His shirt pockets were stocked with stir sticks and his walker carry compartment under the seat was full of napkins and diapers, just in case. Also not to mention his waist pouch that he always wore that was so stuffed full of napkins, stir sticks, mustard, ketchup and cough droops. No wonder he complained about being off balance, it was the darn pouch that was keeping him off balance.

I REMEMBER BY MARK

During the summer of 1978, Dad planned a family trip to Disneyland. No internet, no Google maps, over 3000 miles in a station wagon with 4 kids and our dog Towser. (for the Canadian leg of the journey) using the AMA paper maps and using the Best Western North America hotel / motel travel guide. Dad planned out the trip to the last detail: how we would travel each day, which motels we would stay in each night, etc. Sometimes the motels we stayed in were nice and sometimes the motels were coin operated massage beds and probably rented their rooms by the hour. In spite of all the planning, if Brock did not like the smell of the sheets or if the pool water was too cold, all of us would throw a fit and insist on a better motel. Throwing a wrench into Dads plans, Dad would take it in stride and he either found us a better motel or we just had to suck it up and Brock would sleep in the bathtub. One of the best vacations ever.

CONCLUDING WORDS

We all miss you so much Dad, so very much and you will be in our hearts forever and ever. Amen