Jack Lloyd Holyk

In the early morning hours of September 11th, 2025, Jack Holyk passed away at Country Meadows Personal Care Home in Neepawa. He was 86 years old.

Jack Lloyd Holyk was born at Erickson Hospital on November 1, 1938. He was the second of three children born to Steve and Margaret Holyk.

Jack grew up on a farm north of Sandy Lake and attended Pulvers Lake School. When he was 9, the family moved south of Minnedosa and Jack continued his schooling at Moore Park. He didn't care much for school and after grade five he quit to work on the farm.

In his late teens, Jack headed west to Alberta and worked on the oil rigs before coming back to Manitoba and finding employment with Virden Roofing. From there, he worked for 7-Up out of Brandon, packing and delivering drinks throughout the Westman area.

In 1962, while at the 4 and 10 Diner, Jack caught the attention of a young waitress named Esther Bold. Esther asked one of her co-workers, Edith Holyk, if she knew who that cute guy at the table was. Edith introduced Esther to her brother and the two hit it off. Jack and Esther dated for 14 years before finally getting married at the Minnedosa United Church on May 7th, 1976.

The newlyweds purchased a mobile home and settled on four acres southeast of Minnedosa and welcomed their only child, Darryl on December 24th, 1978.

With only a grade 5 education and no formal automotive training, Jack had a fascination with cars and trucks and this became his true calling. He began working at Moore's Auto Wrecking and this began a career of over 35 years as a mechanic. In the mid-1970s, Jack went into partnership with Harvey Brooking and purchased a shop south of Minnedosa. The two operated as Odanah Service and when Harvey left the partnership, Jack continued the business on his own as Holyk's Odanah Service. Being a business owner was not for Jack and in 1978, he closed his business, rented out his shop and went back into the workforce finding employment at Riverdale Service, Minnedosa Co-op, Glen's Service in Erickson, El's Service in Rapid City, Yate's Towing in Brandon, Tom's Towing and JPB Repair.

The term “Jack-of-all-trades” was a true definition of Jack. Like his father, there was nothing he couldn’t do and he was always willing to accept a challenge to take something apart, figure out what was wrong and make it work again. In addition to fixing engines and appliances, Jack also enjoyed doing is own autobody work, roofing, building construction, plumbing and electrical. While not always up to current codes, Jack always made it work, one way or another!

Jack loved the outdoors. Two of his greatest pastimes were snowmobiling and fishing. Many Sundays were spent out in a boat fishing with the Kowalicks. For relaxation, Jack enjoyed watching TV, especially in the winter months. His favourites were westerns, police shows, wrestling and Nascar races. He also enjoyed listening to country music, especially Dolly Parton and a highlight for him was getting to see her live in concert.

Travelling was another enjoyable pastime for Jack whether it was just a backroads cruise on a Sunday afternoon, a weekend trip down to North Dakota or camping at the Manitoba Threshermen’s Reunion at Austin. He and Esther also did some extended road trips with Melly and Alice Wade in the early 1970s and with Esther and Darryl down to Nashville and Memphis in the early 2000s.

Jack had a tremendous soft spot for dogs and had a number of very special four-legged companions over the years, notably Sandy, Trigg, Sparkie, Scamp, Rascal and most recently his best buddy, Macoon.

When his arms started constantly aching from his many years of pulling wrenches and his hearing started to fail from the loud shop noise, Jack chose to take an early retirement. During these later years, Jack puttered around the yard and his garage. He took on a few seasonal jobs helping neighbours hauling grain during harvest and making his weekly Thursday road trip to Killarney to pick up the latest edition of The Minnedosa Tribune from the printers. Jack also found the time to restore one of his old cars, something he had always talked about doing. He completed all the needed engine and body work on his 1976 Buick Regal. He put off painting the exterior and unfortunately, before he was able to complete the restoration, he began to show signs of forgetfulness.

In the summer of 2023, only two days after a family gathering out at Darryl's, Jack fell ill and was admitted to the hospital. This resulted in an official diagnosis of dementia and Jack would never return home. He moved into Country Meadows Personal Care Home in December 2023. He settled in quickly and remained happy and content during his time there spending many hours roaming the halls which kept him physically active up until just a few days before his passing.

Jack was predeceased by his parents Steve and Margaret, in-laws Jim and Gunhild Bold, brothers-in-law Allan Bold, Lloyd Spence, Albert Wade and John Ellingson, sisters-in-law Alice Wade and Ann Holyk and nephews Lloyd Spence Jr., Darcy Kowalick and Jamie Wade.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Esther, son Darryl, brother Nick, sister Edith Ellingson, brother-in-law and sister-in-law Walter and Evelyn Kowalick, nephews Alvin and Blaine Kowalick, niece Brenda Lynes and their families and his Aunt Caroline Kozak.

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