Hello, my name is Gerald BRYKALO and I have been given the great honor of saying a few words in Celebration of Dan’s life. In case you’re wondering, I worked with Dan in Roblin, MB for 3 years back in 1992.We both went our separate ways, but have remained in contact with each other since.
Dan was born May 21, 1967 in or near Portage La Prairie, MB. His proud parents were Jack and Ellen GARDNER. Dan was temporarily the baby in the family, he had an older brother Shawn and when younger brother Rodney came along Dan was promoted to middle child.
Dan developed a liking to hunting, fishing and playing hockey. All 3 of these passions followed him into adulthood. He became an accomplished outdoorsman, even boasting to me that he could start a fire in the woods with no matches. Of course, I later learned the part he left out was that to start a fire with no matches, you had to make sure your hunting partner was a smoker who carried a couple of lighters!!
As much as he loved hunting and the great outdoors, casting a line in the water and fishing was another one of Dan’s great past times. I recall more than a few days when Dan and I worked together, that he seemed to come down sick, a couple of times a week around mid afternoon. Being a non fisherman, I was naïve to the fact that the pickerel were biting at Lake of the Prairies and to get a choice ice fishing spot required that Dan “get sick” around 2pm so that he was able to get to the lake early and get the best fishing spot!!
Dan’s love of ice hockey was another of his passions. He always liked to say he was “big league”. I have heard from eyewitness accounts that he was a great skater, but he could not shoot the puck very accurately. I used to kid him that hockey players that couldn’t shoot straight all became grain buyers.
I know this is true because I became a grain buyer too, of course with Dan’s mentoring. Dan’s career in the work force was spent working with Cargill for many years. Dan rose to the top of his profession. Success in the grain business came because of Dan’s desire to help people, farmers, who benefitted from Dan’s knowledge and expertise. He spent time in Morris, Swan River and Roblin MB. and Canwood, Saskatoon, Canora and finally Tisdale, Sk. In each of these places, Dan was respected for his ability and appreciated by all staff and colleagues that worked with or for him. Dan’s ability and prairie agriculture experience took him to employment at Sask. Crop Insurance. He started there in 2008.
As much as Dan is to be lauded for recreational and employment accomplishments there remained one void in his life. His next catch made everything else seem tiny in comparison. This “catch” came in the form of a pretty, blond girl from north eastern MB. This girls name was LeeAnn ELKIE. Romance developed and blossomed and Dan happily made hunting and fishing sacrifices to be with his girl.
Dan and LeeAnn married June 30, 1996. I have my suspicions that Dan may have picked this date to get married as it fell after hockey season, and late June may have been too hot for fishing, and hunting season was 3-4 months away. After two plus years practicing, Dan and LeeAnn became pregnant. The beautiful, bouncing baby arrived August 5, 1999 and she was named Kimberly Bailey.
Bailey, I want to assure you that Mom and Dad loved you from the day you were born, and that love is there today and will continue to be there forever. In fact I recall a recent conversation with your Dad where he shared how proud he was of you for doing well in school, and how you are developing your skills with the horses. For sure that. LeeAnn, I believe a husband and wife’s love for one another has only a start date, and it will never end.
To Dan, I will fondly remember all the trials and tribulations. I still smile when I think of Dan and I driving around the back roads of Roblin, MB in Dan’s old red Ford, sharing stories and a couple of malt beverages, discussing or solving life’s problems. Dan is a father, husband, uncle, son, brother and friend and will always be in our thoughts and prayers.
“A Celebration of Life” is a very appropriate heading for today’s service. As we move forward from today, may our thoughts reflect back to Dan and the positive contributions he made to so many.
To LeeAnn and Bailey, always carry Dan’s love and his memory in your heart and know his spirit lives on and I thank you for this honor. Rest in Peace my friend.
