Eugene Teslia

   Teslia Eugene, June 28, 1941 – June 13, 2015, aged 73 years, was born to Sam and Frances Teslia (Rushinowski), at the family farm South of Buchanan.  As a young boy he attended Devils Lake School.  1959 he met Iris (Spelay) of Whitesand area and they were married May 10, 1964. They resided in Regina, where Eugene worked with Wapal Construction and was a bouncer at Earle’s Hotel bar.  Shortly after, their preemie miracle baby, Susan was born on May 25, 1964.  Eugene’s ambitions directed him to seek employment with Regina ambulance where he was an ambulance attendant.  He worked his way up to an orderly and moved his family to Toronto, Ontario.  There he furthered himself in the hospital up to an operating room technician where he worked in the Operating Room on specialty area of hearts and eyes.  Eugene’s longing for being home directed them to move back to Saskatchewan were he took on the role of an orderly in the Yorkton Union hospital.  His desire to take on other challenges saw Eugene move to Kamsak where he was a salesman at MacLeod’s. Then moved back to Regina, where there second daughter, Connie was born. After that Eugene and Iris moved to Thompson, MB., where he was employed in the mines. Eugene and Iris decided to work for themselves and bought a restaurant in Wapella, SK. A few years later took on a business opportunity to purchase a restaurant in Melville.  Eugene and Iris thereafter moved to Springside where Eugene went further into his passion of the culinary and went to cooking school in Moose Jaw, Sask.  He worked at the base in Orkadia for a period of time.  Eugene received a great opportunity with the Coop Creamery in Yorkton, where he drove delivery truck to many communities. Eugene was a driven soul whom wanted to make a difference in his family’s life and became involved in politics in the 70’s.   This produced further opportunities for Eugene in further career challenges that would bring him back to his roots for the love of the farm.  Eugene became a crop adjuster and travelled all over Saskatchewan working with the farmers. Thereafter his further ambitions in politics led him to be appointed to the highway traffic board.  In 1987 Eugene experienced sudden loss of his wife Iris.  Thereafter, although hard on him, he found strength to move forward in life.  After his term of appointment was completed Eugene spent his retirement keeping himself busy as a Commissioner in Yorkton.  In 1995 Eugene met Bev Murray of Swan River Manitoba.  They were married on December 29th, 2001. Eugene and Bev resided in Swan River and loved to travel and garden and greatly enjoyed the gatherings with families and friends as and when they occurred.  In May 2011, Eugene suffered a stroke which he needed extended care for and forever more tragically changed his life, which led to his residing at the Swan Valley Lodge to his passing.

   Eugene was passionate of gathering with his family and friends to share the common enjoyment of traditions and being together.  It did not have to be any special occasion for him to create a gathering.   The many pancake breakfast he would host at the cabin at Good Spirit Lake, the many sausage making gatherings, the many special occasions that he would call everyone up to come to was a sentiment of how important it was to him to be surrounded by the love of family and friends.   Eugene hobbies could be seen through the love for cooking and hunting and making sausage and boating and building and farming crops on his homestead. To add to his many attributes Eugene was a member of the Knights of Columbus, where he was proud of his faith and brotherhood he shared with the other Knights. In his later years with his limited mobility he enjoyed watching curling and baseball. Given that his wife Bev was an avid curler, she educated him in understanding of the game.  

   Eugene’s determination and strong will brought him through the toughest of times and he was respected by many for this quality.  He is a giving soul that would embrace you with much love.  He would always lend an ear to listen when others were in need and he was always helping those that needed guidance to walk them through their troubles. Eugene was always striving to do the best for himself and his family and to give his family a quality life and have his family be proud of him.  Truly an admirable quality.  Eugene passed peacefully on Saturday, June 13th, 2015 at the Swan Valley Lodge.  He would have been 74 on June 28th. He will be sadly missed by all that knew and loved him.

   Eugene was predeceased by his wife Iris and in infancy three children Sally and twins Jaimie and Tracey; Parents: Sam and Frances; Brothers: John and Ray; Sisters: Mary Missios and Sophie (Mike) Yaworski; Brothers-in-Law: Gordon Spelay, Allan Spelay, Peter Ostafie, Bill Spelay, Steve Spelay, Mike Yaworski, Lorne Spelay, Kenneth “Raymond” Murray; Sisters-in-law: Joyce (Allen) Spelay, Olga (Walter) Teslia, Doris (John) Teslia.

   Eugene is lovingly remembered by his wife Bev, two daughters; Susan (Brant) Srochenski, Connie (Lloyd) Baranesky, grandchildren; Taylor (Bryn Robertson) Srochenski and Brendan Baranesky; stepchildren: Corinna (Calvin) Pierrepont, Dayna (Peter) Bresky; step-grandchildren: Courtney, Madison and Brenden Pierrpont, Laine Luke Bresky, brother: Walter Teslia; sisters: Ann Ostafie and Stefanie (Richard) Leniczek, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and his many other relatives and friends. 

   Prayers for Eugene June 25, 2015 from the Chapel of Wolkowski Funeral Service – Canora. Mass of Christian Burial June 26, 2015 from Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church – Canora, with Fr. Joakim Rac officiating. Interment at Yorkton Memorial Gardens, with the Knights of Columbus Fr. Delaere Council #5182 acting as pallbearers. Friends who so desire may make memorial donation in memory of Eugene to the Sean Zielinski Recovery Fund, Box 772, Canora, Sk. SOA OLO. To leave a letter of condolence for the family please visit Wolkowski.ca