JOHN MERESKI

1919 - 2005

Mr. John Mereski, beloved husband of the late Mrs. Margaret Mereski, passed away at the Lethbridge Regional Hospital on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 at the age of 85 years.
John was born on October 16, 1919 in Coaldale to Vinny & Irene Mereski. At the age of five, he moved to Taber with his family where he received his schooling. At the age of twenty-one, he joined the armed forces and spent five years serving his country. He met Margaret Coulter in Victoria, British Columbia and they were married January 18, 1947. He was trained by the American Can Company as a seamer mechanic and worked for the Taber Cannery as mechanic and foreman for fourteen years. Later, he established Mereski Jewellers, retiring after fourteen years in the retail sector, and spent the next fourteen winters as a "snowbird" in Arizona. In 1989 when Margaret's health began to fail, they returned to Taber where John spent his time gardening and golfing. Following Margaret's passing in 2000, John remained in Taber until moving to Lethbridge in 2002.
John is survived by his daughter Sheila (Gary) Heck of Lethbridge and by their children Nikki (Tony) Cale and their children Zakris and Elias, and James Heck (Nicole Krochko); his son Sydney Mereski of Taber; his son Dave (Teresa) Mereski of Lethbridge and their children Elliot and Graham; his daughter Dianne (Michael) Wagner of Salmon Arm, British Columbia and Dianne's children Christopher Madsen (Kristy Ruaben) and Scott Madsen. He is also survived by his son-in-law Claus Madsen, his brothers and sisters Anne (Alvin) Clayton, Alice Cowie, Stella Ingoldsby, Helen (Bob) Knowlden, Vin (Audrey) Mereski and Janet (Harold) Dench, his brother-in-law John Gettman, by Margaret's sister Pat (Frank) Fraser, numerous nieces and nephews and by his special friend Marie Fenske.
He was predeceased by his wife Margaret, his sisters Jenny (Walter) Ilnicki, Mary Gettman and Margaret (George) Powell, and by his brothers-in-law Jim Cowie and Roy Ingoldsby.
Relatives and friends are invited to meet with the family at the Southland Funeral Chapel, 5006 - 48 Avenue, Taber on Friday, April 15, 2005 from 7:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M.
A Funeral Service will be held at St. Theodore's Anglican Church, 5209 - 44 Avenue, Taber on Saturday, April 16, 2005 at 11:00 A.M. with Reverend Wil Stonehill officiating. Interment to follow at Taber Memorial Garden.
If friends so desire, memorial tributes in John's name may be made directly to the Taber Hospital Foundation (Lethbridge Dialysis Unit), 4326 - 50 Avenue, Taber, Alberta  T1G 1N9.