Daniel Walter Sawatzky
1936 ~ 2023
Daniel Walter Sawatzky, 86, of Winkler, MB passed away on Monday May 29, 2023 at the Salem Home in Winkler. He was predeceased by his wife, Judith Sawatzky (Enns).
Dan was also predeceased by his parents, John G and Katherine (Tina) (nee Nikkel) Sawatzky, sister, Evelyn, brothers, Orlando, David, John, Henry, plus two brothers in infancy, Edgar John and Henry Edward, sister, Marie Amy at the age of one year, sister-in-law, Verna (Orlando), brother-in-law, Frank Letkeman (Margaret).
Born July 21, 1936 to John and Katharine (Nikkel) Sawatzky in Morden, Dan was raised at Graysville, MB until about the age of 17. He completed his high school at MCI in Gretna and then moved to Winnipeg. He was employed selling cars and eventually went to Teacher’s College. He met Judith Enns while cruising the main drag at Winkler sometime in 1959 and they married in 1961. Both taught school in Winkler for a number of years before pursuing entrepreneurial endeavors in real estate etc.
Dan was an adventurous soul from way back. From teaching at Matheson Island and Moose Lake up in Northern Manitoba with his brand-new bride to teaching school in Mexico while raising a newborn daughter in the mid 1960’s and then to building, together with his extended family, a fiberglass house (“the flintstone house”) on Mountain Avenue in Winkler. He taught industrial arts, raised and rode many horses and became a real estate broker back in the mid 70’s to mid 80’s.
Road trips were a big part of Dan and Judy’s life together. He took his young family and guided a couple of other families, all in Tripe E motorhomes, on a lengthy road trip from Winkler to South Central Belize and back in 1976 when roads and more importantly bridges were not built and or designed with RVs in consideration. Mexico, Florida, Arizona, Victoria, BC, Toronto, ON were all family road trips taken over the years that Marc and Donna lived at home. Later, Dan enjoyed covering many miles from coast to coast delivering Triple E motorhomes to their respective destinations.
Dan’s sense of humour was known by all who encountered him, and his wit always stayed with him. His dry, dad jokes and witty one-liners were always his trademark. He never hesitated to drop a pun or share some lighthearted ribbing at most anyone’s expense and most often his own.
Dan introduced and nourished Donna’s passion with horses and Marc’s love of cars and motorcycles and thereby could keep his own interests in both of those pursuits alive through them. Animals as pets were always a part of this Sawatzky household and both Donna and Marc remain devoted pet owners following the example they grew up with.
Dan leaves to mourn his passing one daughter, Donna Hall of Grunthal and partner, David Dyck, one son, Marc Sawatzky and his partner, Brigitte Allec of Shawnigan Lake, BC as well as one sister, Margaret Letkeman of Winkler as well as many nieces and nephews and in-laws.
A celebration of life gathering will be held in the near future. Cremation has taken place.