Obituary of Mike Luciw

Mike Luciw

January 18, 1929 – October 17, 2020

 

Mike's Graveside Service for the immediate family will be held on Saturday, October 24 at 2:00 p.m. CST.  at Theodore Town Cemetery.  

To Watch Live Stream of Service click this link: https://video.ibm.com/embed/recorded/128344641

The quality of the livestream will depend on the cellular data signal at the rual cemetery. A recorded video of the service will be published the following day.

Please take some time to watch the slideshow at the bottom of this obituary page as well. 

Mike passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 17^th, 2020 at the Saskatoon Convalescent Home. He is survived by his wife Violet of 63 years; Daughters Sheril & Jerry Wudrich, grandsons Kale (Alora), Bryden (Elise); Lesa & Perry Miller, grandchildren Jasmine (Shane), Tessa (Pat), Sam (Hannah); brothers Bill (Hope) Luciw, Joe (Elsie) Luciw, sister Carol (Joe) Pasiechnik, and sister in law Jeanette Luciw. Mike was pre-deceased by his Mom and Dad, John and Annie Luciw, brothers; Pete, Steve, and sisters; Stella, Mary, Pauline, and Pearl.

 

Mike was born Jan 18, 1929, and was raised on a farm near Hazel Dell, Saskatchewan, during the hard times of the depression era. Lessons of buying only what you need and relying on yourself were learned early. He left home as a teenager, moving to Port Colbourne, Ontario to work in the Maple Leaf Flour Mill stacking 100-lb sacks which were loaded into boats on the Welland Canal, just glad to have a job. After 5 years, he moved back to Saskatchewan and worked in the mines at Uranium City and Port Radium, NWT. Mike was a frugal man and saved his earnings that he would eventually invest in his businesses. Mike married a beautiful and musically gifted school teacher, Violet Miller, in 1957. They first lived together in Preeceville, Saskatchewan, and then early in their marriage lived in Winnipeg, Manitoba where Mike obtained his trade certificate in autobody repair while Vi taught school. They returned to Saskatchewan to build a hotel in Calder, where their daughter Sheril was born. Enjoying hotel business, Mike & Violet bought a hotel on the Yellowhead Highway in Theodore, Saskatchewan, and welcomed the arrival of their 2nd daughter, Lesa. Theodore would become home like no other place could. Mike moonlighted with autobody repairs until selling the hotel and opening up Luciw’s Autobody full time in 1973 on the outskirts of town. As Mike eyed ‘retirement’ in the 1990s, he added a carwash with indoor and outdoor bays where his son-in-laws, Jerry and Perry, provided free pit-cleaning service.

 

Mike was a very hard worker and spent long hours in his second home; ‘the shop’. There he repaired cars to his personal standard of perfection. We always drove vehicles that had been written off and looked better than new after Dad’s handy work! The acreage in Theodore where our family lived was always well kept with freshly cut lawn in the summer and a snow ploughed yard in the winter. Mike believed in storing his equipment indoors and so a vast network of sheds and garages around the perimeter of the yard evolved over the years. Dad was supportive in our activities and regularly made time to attend piano recitals, school activities, and sports events. Mike and Violet moved from Theodore to Saskatoon in 2013. They lived independently for three years and then Mike’s last four years were spent at the Saskatoon Convalescent Home. It really was a home, where he was given excellent care and support from so many staff. Thank you! 

 

Dad was a member of the Theodore United Church where he helped with fixing things, painting, and building maintenance. Though Mike was not a formal leader of local service clubs his frank opinion was often sought by those who were in such positions. 

 

Mike saw the world in black and white – there was little grey area. A sign prominently displayed in the shop said there were two rules. Rule #1 – The Boss is Always Right. Rule #2 – See Rule #1. Anybody who visited him in the shop accepted these rules. Mike loved fishing and hunting. He led a group of men in building a moose hunting cabin in 1970, two miles north of Little Swan Road, a newly logged area southeast of Hudson Bay. ‘The cabin’ was a special place for Mike – his third home, after the house and the shop, that remains in the family to this day under the avid direction of son-in-law Jerry. There Mike made many special hunting memories with his good friend, Chris Ledohowski. In the 1980s Mike began fishing trips to Davin Lake to catch lake trout, walleye, and pike. Mike packed for this annual fishing trip in a very complicated but self-reliant way – it was often said that he took enough stuff with him that he could completely rebuild a truck or boat if he had to. Many friends, his son-in-laws, and his three grandsons have all shared his good humour on this annual trip. The introduction to this wilderness area is a gift which persists to this day for son-in-laws Jerry and Perry. 

 

Mike was an avid bike rider, often seen riding on the highway between Theodore and Insinger in his biking outfit of pink and black spandex shorts, an orange vest and work boots. He brought the bike with him to Davin Lake one time but quit bringing it after a near death experience losing control on a steep hill. Mike was an avid curler and every winter he travelled to many curling bonspiels with his team; Gordon, Mike B. and Doug. Dad was a great dancer. For many years he and Mom traveled to dance events around rural Saskatchewan doing pattern dancing, something Mike loved immensely. Mike was also a master meat-smith and vintner. Every Christmas, moose sausage was made and friends and neighbours would come to the smoke house for a drink while the sausage was curing.

 

Mike and Violet travelled to visit their daughters and families. Together they attended hockey and lacrosse games, music and band concerts, ball games and BMXing events. They also took some fun trips to Disney World with their girls and families, Mexico, an Alaskan Cruise and a Canada trip with their very good friends, Dillon and Eileen Gunther.

 

Mike became famous for his many flavours of fruit wine, which he shared eagerly with all. The family will be toasting a celebration of life with some of Mike’s finest!

If you choose to donate in memory of Mike please consider the Saskatoon Convalescent Home.

A graveside service will take place in Theodore, Sask.

 

Some of Mike's Favorite Sayings:

“It’s my way or the highway"

“It’s not that I want to do it my way, I just want it done the right way”

“Don’t get old, cause when you get old you stay old”

 

“All I need is time”

 

Rule #1 - The boss is always right. Rule # 2 - Always refer to Rule # 1. 

 

“Don’t drive so fast, what’s your hurry?”

 

"Whoa Ho Hoa”

 

“Now you’re cookin with gas”