Written by Michelle Mulko

Oh Dad, I can’t believe you’re gone. I have kept thinking that this was all a bad dream and I just need to wake up. There are moments where I forget you’re gone and I feel great, then I remember, and I can’t believe you’re gone all over again.

Yellowstone was one of your favourite shows. There is a quote from that show as follows.

“You can remember the way he died, or you can remember the way he lived.” I choose to remember the way you lived.

You have left us all with memories of your piano playing, your love for hastas, your love for smoking meat for family dinners, your obsession with wood piles and finally, your stubbornness.

Yes daddy, you were stubborn. I like to think divine intervention took you away because mother nature was tired of waiting.

I can see you dad arriving at the gates of heaven saying “Oh, this is nice, if you ever take it down can I have the wood?”

When I lived in Vancouver, you made me each Christmas, our traditional Czech dinner of dumplings, sauerkraut, chicken and sour cream sauce just like Grandma Mulko used to make. Then you drove to the city and sent it Air Canada Cargo to me every year that I was gone for the holidays.

When I told you I was ready to come back home, you immediately responded with, “I’ll come get you.” You drove across the country to bring me home without hesitation.

You would tell me the same story 17 times about who the heck was using your shed driveway to turn around because you saw tracks in the snow. Then you would tell me cool stories just once like one night, as we watched Princess Bride and Andre the Giant came on the screen, you said, “Oh, I had a beer with that guy. Couldn’t even see the bottle in his hands they were so big.” Honestly dad, I’d love to listen to any of your stories 17 times, even just once would be great.

I’m so grateful I got to see you one last time hours before your accident and our last words to each other were I love you with a big hug goodbye.

When you passed daddy, you had a family that loved you. You had your partner Elenore that adored you as much as you adored her. You left a legacy that will remain with us until we pass and meet you again.

I love you dad. You were certainly one of a kind and I’m so lucky to have had you as a father.

Rest in peace daddy