Obituary of William Bygarksi

William (Bill) Bygarski, husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather passed away peacefully at Fairview Personal Care Home on Friday, August 30, 2024. 

Bill was born in Brandon to Helen (Kusela) and Peter Bygarski on July 10, 1932. He grew up in the north end of Brandon. He met his wife Isabel Thom while heckling her at a school baseball game. As friends they would meet at the roller rink and at the United Grill where they went for cakes afterwards. The 16^th Street Beach and Kirkham’s Bridge were also favorite spots in their teenage years. They started dating in 1952 and started their life journey together on May 11, 1957.

They built their first house in Brandon in 1957. Bill bought 50 hives of bees in 1968. In 1970, Bill and Isabel built their second house on an acreage south of Brandon and Bill continued his dream of raising honey bees and creating Bygarski’s Honey Farm. Bill was very proud of his bees and hive products and won several awards at honey shows in Brandon, Winnipeg and Toronto. Bill spent most of his life promoting honey bees and honey.

Bill and Isabel also spent happy days at Wargatie Lake where they renovated a lake front cottage.  Never one to be idle, Bill took up wood carving and won awards in local events and his carvings are in collections across the prairies. 

Bill was predeceased by his parents Peter and Helen Bygarski, wife Isabel, and his in-laws Lillian and Jim Judson and Sandy Thom. He is survived by sister-in-law Gwen Thom, daughter Sandra (Raymond), son Bill (Valerie), granddaughters Katherine (Gareth), Elizabeth (Bryan), Meganne (Kody) and great grandchildren Madison, Wesley, Joshua, Alden, Frasier, Milo, Quinn and Elayne along with several nieces and nephews. 

In keeping with Bill’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a private celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations in memory of Bill may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society or to The Fairview Foundation C/O Fairview Care Home Brandon.  We would like to extend gratitude to family, friends and the staff at Fairview for the support and care in Bill’s life.