Eddie Lawrence Dutka

It is with heavy hearts we announce the unexpected but peaceful passing of our dad, grandpa, and papa Eddie at the Red Deer Regional Hospital.

Ed will be lovingly remembered by his children Tracy (Stoney) Hodgson, Carmen (Mike MacDonald) Dutka, and Sheldon (Carrie) Dutka; his grandchildren Amber (Scott) Lindstrand, Jess (Danielle) Pugh, Logan Dutka, and Ty Dutka; his great-grandchildren Mya & Bennett Pugh and Collyns & Miller Lindstrand; his sister Lorraine (Danny Shewchuk) Montgomery; sisters-in-law Arlene (Eugene) Shtokal, Ardina Armitage, and Joan (Irving) Bablitz; his god-daughter Karen (John) Rees; and numerous nieces, nephews, and friends.

Ed was predeceased by his wife Ardith; his parents John and Rose Dutka; and his sister Evelyn Scherger.

Ed was born in Vegreville, Alberta and grew up on a farm learning the value of hard work, where they grain farmed, milked cows, and raised pigs and chickens.  Out of high school, he ran his own ambulance service, and then worked for Macleods in Vegreville for eight years, transferring to Ponoka in 1971 as the assistant manager.  After leaving Macleods in 1977, he went to work for Home-All in Ponoka which then became Sommer Home Hardware, where he spent 30 years until his retirement in 2003.

Ed was always involved with his community, whether it be through the Jaycees, Lions and Kinsmen clubs in Vegreville, fire chief of the Holden fire department, the Kinsmen Club of Ponoka, the Ponoka Stampeders hockey club running the time clock, and the Ponoka volunteer fire department for 30 years.

Mom and dad loved to dance and always enjoyed their annual friends Ukranian Christmas parties.  Dad enjoyed what we called “Ukranian hour” where we would play his many vinyl records and he would tell us stories from his childhood, teen, and adult years.  He enjoyed many hobbies - fishing, hunting, water skiing. He could build anything and everything - campers for his truck, doll furniture, toy boxes and footlockers for the grandkids and great-grandkids, cooking, baking, sewing, small woodworking projects, tinkering in his garage, enjoyed doing renovations, and of course making his famous puffed wheat squares.

Dad loved watching hockey, whether it be the NHL or his grandkids and great-grandkids with their hockey or baseball.  Dad also enjoyed his weekly Tuesday drive to Red Deer for his groceries on senior discount day and browsing the thrift stores.  And, we all knew he had that front pocket on his jean jacket filled with mints.

He will be greatly missed.

There will be a private family memorial at a later date.

Donations can be made in his honour to Ponoka FCSS, S.T.A.R.S., or any charity of your choice.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Eddie Lawrence Dutka, please visit our floral store.