Edward Orzech, age 84 years, a resident of Thunder Bay, passed away peacefully in the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre on January 31, 2016 with family by his side.
Eddy was born on July 19, 1931 in Fort William, Ontario. He attended local schools and later Ryerson University in Toronto, graduating in 1955 from the Mechanical and Industrial Technology Department. After Ryerson, he became involved in the Adhesive Industry as a sales correspondent. Eddy worked there three years and then returned home to Port Arthur, now Thunder Bay.
He was involved in the drafting field, primarily in the structural steel field, then branching off into mining head frames "Boxcar" dumpers for the grain industry, feed mill and feed lot design for the cattle industry.
In 1970 and 1971 he was employed as a reinforcing steel detailer at the pulp mill expansion in Kamloops, B.C. From 1972 until1976 Edward was a project coordinator at the construction steel detailer of Old Fort William Historical Park.
Later, he was employed as a construction supervisor in the building of a new Thunder Bay Mail Processing Plant. After that, Eddy was employed with a Swedish firm in the custom design of biomass furnaces for industrial, commercial and institutional use. In the mid 80's Edward was employed as the construction project coordinator in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Then from 1986 until 1990 he worked for the Ministry of Government Services as a construction supervisor, retiring in 1990.
In his younger days, Eddy took strong interest in golfing, curling, fishing and downhill skiing. In 1959 and 1960 he served in the Naval Reserve of Canada. He went for a three month training cruise to the Far East. He visited Long Beach, California, Midway Bland, Hawaii, Okinawa, Japan, Hong Kong, Adak, Alaska and back to Esquimalt, B.C. He also visited Poland. Edward was involved in the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 149, where many times he was an Executive Member and Vice President.
Eddy will be sadly missed by his wife Barbara, with whom he was married in 1977; sisters-in-law Teresa Taff (Adam), Irena Chamska; brother-in-law Jerzy Grodzki (Wieslawa) in Poland; nieces Kathy Chynn, Monika Chiodo, Marta Baczyk and Ewa Krawczewska (Poland) and nephew Arek Chamski (Myra); grand -nephew Nicholas Chiodo with his father Morris Chiodo and cousins in British Columbia. Edward was predeceased by his parents Carolina and Joseph Orzech and brother-in-law Wieslaw Chamski in Poland.
Cremation has taken place as per Edward’s wishes.
Visitation for family and friends will be held on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Harbourview Funeral Centre, 499 North Cumberland Street, where the Prayer Service will begin at 6.00 p.m. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, February 4, 2016 in St. Andrew’s R. C. Church, 292 Red River Road, celebrated by Rev. Antoni Fujarczuk. Interment will follow in St. Andrew’s Cemetery. Should friends so desire, donations may be made in Edward's memory to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
