Bill Kucher
KUCHER - William (Bill) Micheal Kucher - After 83 years of living a life filled with family, farming and fishing, Bill passed away with Shirley, his wife at his side. Bill was born on a farm North of Prelate and farming was to continue to be a recurrent theme throughout his life. His youth was spent on the farm in the Glidden area then as a teen the family moved to Kindersley where he graduated from high school. He broadened his horizons by taking up mechanics where he achieved his Journeyman’s ticket in Motor Vehicle Mechanical Repair from Moose Jaw. During that time, he also joined the army reserves achieving the rank of corporal by his discharge in 1962.
Big changes occurred in 1961 with his marriage to Shirley, his soul mate for the next 61 years. After a short time of living in town and working for Keller and Camerons, they moved to his in-laws, Joe and Elsie Hegarty’s farm. Bill started helping with farming as well as working at Harry’s Oilfield Maintenance. A new job as a Battery Operator at Golden Eagle Oil and Gas enabled him to buy his own land.
At the same time, Bill became a busy family man with the birth of Loretta, in 1962, Sheila in 1964 and David in 1973. Besides the usual children’s activities of Girl Guides, Boy Scouts, music and hockey, there were many family vacations of camping. Bill was always fond of fishing, and this continued to be a pass-time well into his later years with his brother-in-law Calvin and other friends.
Bill was a member of the Lions Club and Knights of Columbus. He also volunteered as a member of the Citizens on Patrol and worked for the RCMP on guard duty at the jail. As Bill was a master storyteller, these experiences provided him with a lot of material. He was a proud steward of prairie homesteading history and the Addison Sod House, a National and Provincial Historic Site of Canada. Bill loved giving tours of Shirley’s grandfather’s historic home and worked with the Kindersley Museum to restore some of the Addison farming implements and antiques.
Other hobbies Bill developed over the years included making and firing rockets, remote control planes, birdhouses, and tea-cup bird feeders. He also enjoyed hunting, particularly with his grandson, Steven.
He was a man who did not like to sit still. He was a hard worker, a man to lend a hand to whoever needed it and a great teller of stories. He will be missed by all who met him and particularly by his Coffee Row mates at Timmies.
A life well lived.
Predeceased by his parents Mike and Maggie Kucher, sister Rena Brewer, sister Louise Kucher, sister-in-law Noreen Sutherland, brother-in-law Daryl Blick. Survived by his wife, Shirley, sister Iris Blick, daughters Loretta (Todd) Harvey and Sheila Kucher, and son David (Dana) Kucher. Grandchildren Steven (Montana) Perkins, Savanna Harvey, Lauren (Darrell) Paterson, Erin (Chris Thomas) Harvey, Marissa (David) Lazecki, Nikita Whatley, Jordanna and Mason Kucher.
Great-grandson Zachary Thomas and great-granddaughter Alina Paterson plus numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Also survived by his sister-in-law Margaret Sullivan and brother-in-laws Calvin Brewer, Doug Chamberlain, Neil Sutherland, and Brian Sullivan.
A funeral service was held at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, Kindersley, on Oct 22, 2022 with internment at Merrington Cemetery.
Donations in Bill’s memory can be made to Red Cross Ukrainian Humanitarian Crisis Appeal, Canada Ukraine Foundation, or a charity of your choice.