Obituary of Shirley Bachinski

Shirley Arline Bachinski passed away peacefully with family by her side at Dinsdale Personal Care Home on July 29, 2024 at the age of 87 years.

Our Auntie Shirley was born August 27, 1936 in Killarney MB to parents Clifford and Aileen Bridges. She was the youngest of four girls and her three sisters Enid, Muriel, and Iris all predeceased her. She attended Killarney Collegiate and after a brief stint at Kellett’s Grocers in Killarney, in 1956 she began her career in Brandon at Manitoba Telephone Systems where she spent a total of 38 years, ascending to a managerial position within the male-dominated Engineering Department. In 1994 she accepted a retirement offer from MTS and in the ensuing years, she learned to play bridge and golf, travelled and enjoyed lunches with the life-long friendships she had fostered at work.

After moving to Brandon in 1956, she met and fell in love with Henry Kukura. They married in 1958 in Brandon and soon designed and built their home on Violet Crescent where she was to remain until her move in 2021 to Dinsdale. Unfortunately Uncle Henry passed away in 1971 from cancer. However she found love again and on December 29, 1975 she married Bob Bachinski in Brandon. They enjoyed 42 years of marriage before his passing on January 1, 2018.

Auntie Shirley loved travel and enjoyed several trips to warm climes. Later, once Uncle Bob had retired, they loved to drive to Palm Springs, Phoenix or Yuma and spend a month or so enjoying the heat and a casino visit or two. She took immense pride in her home and yard and was a gracious hostess. She especially loved attending and hosting large family dinners where she was surrounded by her family, nieces and nephews and “greats” who by then had arrived. They had a miniature schnauzer “Pepper” who brought them much joy for many years.

She remained friends throughout her life with Uncle Henry’s surviving sisters Mary and Olga. She has a total of seven nieces and nephews on her Bridges’ side and we all adored her. Missing her presence in our lives are Sandra (High River, AB), Murray (Saskatoon, SK), Kevin, Jim, and Dawn (Killarney, MB) and Sherri and Shelley (Brandon, MB). In addition, numerous nieces and nephews on the Kukura and Bachinski sides will remember her fondly.

Our family wishes to acknowledge with thanks for the care and warmth she received from the nurses and staff at Dinsdale over the three years she spent there.

A memorial reception to celebrate Auntie Shirley’s life was held at Brockie Donovan Funeral Home on Tuesday, August 6, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. Her family wishes to thank everyone who honoured her memory by your attendance. A private family interment was held at Rosewood Memorial Gardens prior to the reception.

If so desired, donations in her memory can be made to Brandon Regional Health Care Foundation, 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon MB R7A 2B3.