Friday, March 13, 2020
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To the Szarek Family:
George Szarek had a truly memorable and important impact on my life. George and Dawn moved in across from our home on Hamilton St. in Blyth. My father, Kazimierz "Kozzy" Kuchmistrz, was a friendly neighbour who introduced himself to George, and he then discovered that they shared a Polish heritage. My Dad sent me over to “help” him out with the construction of his first house in Blyth, but I don’t think having a 10 or 11 year old kid underfoot was any real “help!” Within about five years, George decided to build a new and larger red brick house next door to his original white siding bungalow. I had been spending my previous summer holidays learning from George how to do basic car maintenance like changing oil, spark plugs and even brake shoes. So now, I had a chance to “help” again with electrical wiring, plumbing and even carpentry too, although I was a rather puny kid and couldn’t nail anything quickly. George was always very patient and explained how to do things in a way that made sense- I could see why he was a great teacher. I remember clearly, when I was helping him build a tool shed and a backyard deck, and I was too particular about doing some task perfectly, George would look at me and say: “You know, we’re not building the Taj Mahal here!” I had to go to my encyclopaedia to figure one this out, but it made me laugh because he’d regularly repeat it over the next couple of years whenever I helped him at his rental buildings or with a car repair, and got into my “perfection mode.”
I count myself very fortunate to have had the luck to learn these practical skills from George, he was a mentor who gave me confidence to work with my hands. It’s something I’ve never forgotten, and I amaze my friends today that I am “handy” and can do ceramic tiling, install pipes, sinks, toilets and plumbing fixtures, do the wiring for switches (even two way!), and basic car maintenance too. I just did my own contracting and many renovations on my townhouse here in Vancouver from 2016-2018, and I thought of George almost every day. He was also the first person to help me understand the stock market and kindled a love of politics in me that has never left me. George and Dawn took me on trips to Kitchener and even once to Detroit, which opened up my small town world for me. I am really, really sad that he has passed away, and especially that I didn’t have a chance in the last few years to tell him personally how much he meant to me in my life.
Good-bye George….you were a great friend.
Mr. Janek "Johnny" Kuchmistrz
Vancouver, BC
