Obituary
Peter Bilinsky
With family at his side, Peter Bilinsky aged 87, passed away peacefully on March 11, 2021 at the Selkirk Regional Health Centre.
Born on May 16, 1933, Peter was brother to 6, beloved uncle to 13, and had numerous great nephews and nieces, and great – great nephews and nieces.
He was son of the late Mary and Mykyta Bilinsky, was predeceased by his brother Steve (Anne) and sisters Anne (Edward) and Mary (Grant). He is survived by his brother Alec (Josie) and sisters Stephanie (Oscar) and Virginia.
As a boy, Peter spent a lot of time at the creek with his brothers and their dogs. It was their sanctuary, where special memories were made from the adventures shared amongst the siblings and animals.
As a young man, Peter worked construction in Montreal, and throughout Manitoba. He took over the operation of the family farm after the passing of his father in 1963. His proudest achievement in life was keeping the family farm. He did love each season, and especially liked when his gardens and fruit trees began to produce. After retiring from farming, he always looked forward to riding his other John Deere, taking pride in cutting the lawns at the farm to perfection…and they were perfect.
He loved to spend time with family – planning day trips picking mushrooms or berries, hunting with his brothers, and fishing with buddies, brothers or nephews. Weekends were mostly spent at home with family visiting each day. He loved it when the family gathered at the farm for special occasions, his garden tomatoes and the pickles made by his sister were on the menu every time.
Peter enjoyed travelling with family and friends, taking many drive trips throughout the US and Canada. One casino trip in particular earned legendary status in the family, when Peter, his sister and brother-in-law arrived at the Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas where he was promptly treated like absolute royalty. He couldn’t believe it and thought they must have mistaken him for “a big shot” One of the most special trips he took was when he travelled to Europe with his brother and sister to visit family in London and Ukraine with a stop in Paris.
Peter had a set schedule, after morning coffee with his buddies in Selkirk, he would be back home in time for Price is Right. Each day, he watched the news followed by Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy enjoying watching these shows with family and was often the one solving the puzzles first!
He had a lifelong interest in wildlife and could identify every track in the yard. He knew all the critters living at the farm. The animals would remain wild, but they were referred to as “friends”, and often approach him for a quick visit if he was outside. Especially the chipmunks. If you visited in the evening, guaranteed there would be a nature show on the television. He loved his nature shows.
Ever curious and interested in the family’s activities, he wanted to know about the successes, and he was there for the failures. You knew where you stood with him and he would ALWAYS let you know if it was “not for Peter.” He was a rare combination of someone who had a love of life and a firm understanding of what was important – the simplicity of living a life with those you love.
His generosity was immeasurable, and he was always there to help. An honourable man who never complained, chose his words wisely, and had a love for family and nature. He lived a full life and will be dearly missed.
We are forever blessed with those memories.
Life is precious, in Peter’s memory, take time to have coffee with a friend.
Funeral Mass and celebration of his life will follow at a later date.
Thank you to EMS Oakbank and also to the numerous medical personnel involved in his care.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Peter Bilinsky, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Peter Bilinsky March 11 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Selkirk, Province: Manitoba