Harry Victor Mudryk

I’m here to tell you a story about an incredible man, husband, father, grandfather,and great grandfather. Harry Victor Mudryk was born on March 15, 1944 on his mother’s birthday, in Elk Point, AB to Peter and Annie Mudryk. Harry came from a family of two sisters Adeline and Josephine, and three brothers Robert, Donald and Brian. The Mudryk family lived on a homestead near Stony Lake area in between St. Paul and Elk Point. On their farm they had cows, pigs, chickens and horses, but Harry didn’t like to do any of the chores on the farm. Harry and his brothers would rather have some fun and get into mischief while their mom and dad went into town. They attended school in Sweboro by Stony Lake from Grades 1-6 and then finished his schooling to Grade 8 in Edmonton. In 1957 the family moved to Edmonton on 132 Ave and 76 Street where they had 6 acres of land with a three bedroom house that had a full basement. There was no indoor plumbing.

Harry’s very first job was working at Scona Bowling alley at the age of 15. He stayed there for a couple of years and then started working as a carpenter’s helper with his dad. That was Harry’s many passions throughout the year, “building things”.

The summer of 1964 is when he met and fell in love with Jeanne Roy. Harry proposed to Jeanne that Christmas and were married less than 2 months later on February 6, 1965. Harry and Jeanne had their first daughter Barbara Ann June of “65” and ten months later their second daughter Karen Sharon arrived April of 1966. Sandra Jean came thirteen months later on May of “67”. Their fourth and final child Kathy Lynn was born on September of 1969 just over 2 years later. That same year Harry started working for Canada Packers on Fort Road. At that time they were renting a two bedroom house right on 118 Avenue with a front yard and big garden in the back. The house was small for six people but they managed to stay there for 5 years until they saved enough to buy their first house in Stony Plain in 1974.

Harry continued working for Canada Packers on the kill floor and canning department until 1984 when they shut the plant down. He then decided to get into road construction running packers for Con Mac at Buck Lake and Leduc. Harry enjoyed operating the heavy equipment and we think that’s why he ended up loving to drive truck so much.

Throughout the years Harry and his family spent time with many friends and relatives camping, skidoo racing, fishing and hunting. Being outside is what he loved the most and his biggest joy was his garden and growing his many vegetables and 6 foot tall Ukranian garlic.

Harry started working for his brother Brian in 1986 with Cindy’s Water Service hauling water to acreages throughout Strathcona County. He then decided to buy his own water truck in 1987 and continued to haul water for another 10 years while also buying three more water trucks that he either sold to other drivers or had them drive for him.

In the last ten years, Harry worked for Golden Spike Lumber, Competition Chev, Dirt Slinger and Master Paving with whom he drove truck for all of them. Harry loved driving so much he often worked long shifts of 12 to 14 hour days and loved every minute of it. One of the hardest things Harry had to do at the end was give up his driver’s license.

Harry started his battle in 2012 when he had a major heart attack that blew a whole in his heart as well as 2 major strokes. With Jeanne and his daughters by his side, Harry fought many sicknesses there after, but he didn’t give up doing the things he loved. Camping and fishing with his kids, going to the River Cree to play slots was something he loved as well and kept going right up until the last week before he went to the hospital. That was what Harry was made of, he was a quiet man but when he had fun you could see it on his face with his great big smile that everyone loved. Harry was never one to say I Love You to any of his girls but at the hospital he said those words and I don’t think the girls are ever going to forget that.

On Harry’s third day in the hospital he had quite a few visitors and he made a comment in his room that had everyone laughing. One of his daughters said “We Love You” and he replies back “Everybody Does”.

Eulogy By Dwayne Schmidek

“Seeing is believing.” For many, those words simply represent a motto. But for Harry Victor Mudryk, it summarized in every way who he was. He was modest, quiet and observant, taking in everything around him and always thinking before acting. He was a realist, someone who was efficient and practical in everything he did. He was a friendly person who truly cared about those around him. He was the son of Peter and Annie Mudryk. Raised in Stony Lake and Edmonton, Alberta, he was brought up to be tolerant and trustworthy. As a child, he learned to be conscientious, responsible and punctual. These were all traits that he would carry with him throughout his life. As a young boy, Harry was always aware of how others around him felt and this quality served him well. With a deep capacity to tolerate the feelings of others, Harry was generally able to avoid conflicts. It seemed as if Harry was the family member who was always working to keep stress at bay. Preferring a quiet environment where he could concentrate, Harry also had the ability to relate well with his family and friends. Harry was raised with five. He had Adeline, Robert, Josephine, Donald, Brian. Harry was constantly involved in activities with his family. Harry and his siblings had the typical rivalries while growing up but they deeply cared for each other and shared many life experiences over the years.

Most folks would say that Harry was shy until they got to know him. Those who were privileged to know him well learned that he was a solid, good friend. Harry was reluctant to generalize about people, and he based his friendships on his personal experiences. Because of this, Harry best trusted those people that he truly knew. He was concerned about how those around him felt, and he always seemed to uncover the positive side of people. He could relate to others and had the ability to see their point of view, to “walk a mile in their shoes,” as the saying goes. The friends that he made, Harry kept. While growing up, some of his best friends were Raymond Fender. Later in life, he became friends with Marlene and Wilf Hlus, Rod and Lorraine Murray. Love can’t be defined but must be experienced. That was so true for Harry. On February 6, 1965 Harry married Jeanne Diana Roy at Highland United Church of Edmonton, Alberta. He was totally committed to Jeanne and maintained traditional ideals about marriage. It was as if Harry naturally sensed his spouse’s needs, and accepted those feelings unconditionally. Although Harry disliked conflict, he did not take flight from discord, but rather sought to preserve harmony even during the most trying times. Harry was a good father to his children. He had “old fashioned” parental values and could handle typical family conflicts in a fair and calm manner. Because he trusted emotions, Harry was reluctant to force issues and used gentle persuasion to resolve situations. In this way he seemed to radiate an aura of warmth and caring to those around him, always thinking before acting. In addition, Harry was a master planner. No matter how hectic life around him might be, he seemed to know and track everyone’s schedule. Harry was blessed with four, Barbara, Karen, Sandra and Kathy. They were also blessed with Nine grandchildren amd four great-grandchildren, Jennnifer, Mitchell, Sharlene, Michael, Shantel, Christopher, Tyler, Justin, Jennifer, Mackenzie, Hayden, Dayne, Mira. If you gave Harry a deadline, he would meet it. At work, Harry was always on task. Without hesitation, Harry could adhere to any assignment and see it through to its completion. His primary occupation was Truck Driver. He was employed for 15 years at Canada Packers; Construction for 6 Years and Truck driver for 30 years. During that time, Harry excelled in working with small groups in order to complete assignments. He was able to quickly grasp concrete ideas and could organize and plan the best way to accomplish things with remarkable consistency. Harry was good at staying on track and was considerate in listening to what others had to say. In this way, Harry had a true gift for being able to come up with practical resolutions to difficult problems. He was often the team member who managed to put forth a win/win solution for all parties.

Harry liked to experience things first hand, in addition to simply learning about them. This quality influenced Harry's choice of leisure time activities. A methodical and patient worker, Harry preferred to set aside uninterrupted time to work on his hobbies. His favorite pursuits were gardening, fishing, gambling, hunting and skidooing. Harry was content to sit quietly alone, enjoying his hobbies all by himself and could often be found just reading about his favorite pastimes. While thorough and measured in his approach to things, Harry often liked to physically do things rather than just think about them. He was like that with sports. Recreational sports included bowling, broom ball and horseshoes. He also enjoyed the statistical data and the facts behind the sports. In this way, he was something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching his favorite teams whenever he got the opportunity. Tops on his list were hockey, football, nascar, baseball and golf. Anyone who traveled or went on vacation with Harry had smooth sailing. It was often taken for granted that he was the trip planner. He would start early and examine all of the possibilities, selecting the best and most effective options. Favorite vacations included Las Vegas and Reno. He had taken the time to learn about his various options and chose his course wisely. His new life involved relocating to Stony Plain, AB in 2012. In retirement, he found new pleasure in fishing, gambling and gardening. Even in retirement, Harry continued to stay in touch with his old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. He was active in the community and felt fulfilled with the opportunities retirement offered him. Harry passed away on December 7, 2014 at Westview Health Centre, Stony Plain, AB. He fought a battle with the infection he had in his stomach that was toxic. He is survived by his wife, four daughters, nine grandchildren, four great-grandchildren, two brothers and two sisters. Services were held at Stony Plain Alliance Church. Harry was laid to rest in Pioneer Cemetery, Spruce Grove, AB. It is said that some people can’t see the forest for the trees. Harry was able to focus on each individual tree, tending to its needs, thus making the forest stronger as a whole. Harry was a trustworthy, pragmatic and sympathetic person, the kind of man to whom everyone was drawn. He was thorough and practical. Harry Mudryk was very literal with his words. You always knew where you stood with Harry. He will be missed.