Peacefully and surrounded by his daughters and grandchildren, William Nicholas Orzechowski, 74, went to be with Jesus on May 20, 2022, following a long journey with cancer. He was deeply loved, is greatly missed and his family and friends cherish the many beautiful memories shared with him.

 

Bill was born on December 3, 1947 to parents Nicholas and Rose Orzechowski in Neepawa Hospital, Manitoba.  He spent his childhood, teen and young adult years in Manitoba - Plumas, Manitou and Winnipeg.  Bill and his sisters Wanda McNeil (James) and Linda Pardy (James) were born of Ukrainian heritage. Raised on perogies and holopchi, Bill was a talented Ukrainian dancer and skilled accordion player.  In the early 1970’s, Bill followed his parents into the hotel business while raising his daughters, Krista Fidler (David) and Tannis Pratt (Kirby) in Sault Ste. Marie, ON.  He returned to Winnipeg in the late 1990’s but the Soo always held a special place in his heart.

 

In Winnipeg, Bill spent many years as a Tenant Manager for a number of apartment complexes followed by a Security Officer at Misericordia Health Centre and Health Sciences Centre - making friends and creating memories along the way.

 

Dad will always be remembered as an incredibly devoted fan of Elvis Presley.  His collection of Elvis memorabilia is vast and the music and culture of Elvis became a part of our lives.  Dad was an avid follower of Nascar, he loved to fish, swim and scuba dive and enjoyed camping, golf and softball in his younger years.  He loved to travel and, like many of us, wished he could have done more but always talked about his time spent in Hawaii, Bahamas, Florida, Graceland, Las Vegas and many places across Canada.  Even though very afraid of heights, in his 20’s he loved to fly planes and was very proud of his pilot’s license. In the last several years of his life, Bill found a place of belonging at Cornerstone Alliance Church and was a devoted volunteer serving coffee on Sunday mornings. He looked forward to working at the church and made many new friends.  Bill made friends easily and often shared memories of fun experiences and adventures over his life with his grandchildren Ryan Pratt (Marina). Meghan Pratt (Corey), Julia Henry (Jordan), Sydney Pratt and Noah Fidler. 

 

Family was at the centre of Bill’s heart and he was fully committed to being the best Dad and Dido he could be.  He was the biggest cheerleader, never missing a single recital, concert, sporting event - he could always be counted on.  He celebrated even the smallest of victories and never failed to let his daughters and grandchildren know he loved them and was so very proud of them all.  He was a generous person and gave of the little he had with his family.  He supported his daughters through many ups and downs and they enjoyed a very special closeness. He loved his son-in-laws and looked forward to our many family gatherings at Christmas, birthday parties and weekends at the lake. Bill loved animals and they loved him too - he looked forward to visiting, playing with and babysitting his grandpuppies. 

 

Bill was a sentimental guy who collected mementos to remember his beloved family members who passed away before him including his parents, grandparents and many aunts and uncles. He gathered small items that reminded him of good times spent with people he missed dearly and held close to his heart.

 

Although Bill had many health concerns at the end of his life, he always maintained a positive attitude, sense of humour and continued to put others above himself even through pain and exhaustion.  His last year was hard with much time spent undergoing tests, procedures and attending appointments.  We are thankful for the many prayers of our church family and we would like to thank everyone who provided such excellent care to him when he needed it including: Home Care nurses and health care aides, Cancer Care physicians and nurses, Dr. Bansal and finally, the unit manager and all staff and physicians at Deer Lodge Centre (Lodge 2 East) who provided him with the most caring and compassionate end of life care that we could have hoped for.  We are thankful that he is free from pain and suffering now and that we can look forward to seeing him again in heaven.

 

There will be a public service to remember our beautiful father, grandfather, brother, uncle, cousin and friend on Thursday June 16th at 2:00pm at Cornerstone Alliance Church, 1100 Autumnwood Dr., Winnipeg, MB. Donations in his memory can be made to Deer Lodge Centre Foundation.