Joseph Anton Milimaka

Joseph Anton (Peter) Milimaka January 4, 1934 to January 12, 2016 Joe was born on the farm in Holden on January 4th, 1934 to Anton and Josie Mielimaka. Who had immigrated to Canada from Poland. For most of his life, we celebrated on the 1st until he got a copy of his birth certificate. Now he has two birthdays, which is just a symbol of how he loved to always celebrate life with his family and friends. He sparkled when he was with people and that is how he would want to be remembered; full of life. Joe was the 5th of 8 children and the only boy with 7 sisters. Now we know why he loved attention. Joe grew up on the family farm where his parents settled. He walked to school from the farm which was about 2 miles away from Holden even at the age of 5 when he started school. The train used to slow down to give him a ride, but nobody at school believed him. He went to school up until grade 9 and was off school for a couple of weeks to do the harvest and when he went back he was told that he would have to catch up on his school work. He thought "I can do better things" and went to work at his Uncle Lloyd's garage in Holden instead. He worked there for a few years but always helped his Dad on the farm. He was active in the community and always lent a helping hand to the parish and helped build the Roman Catholic Church that we are in today. He had a keen ear for music and in his teens he taught himself to play many instruments. He was very musically talented and could pick up an instrument and figure out how to play it just by the sound. He drove his sisters a bit crazy as he used to practice playing the guitar and bass fiddle by looking at his fingers in the mirror in the bedroom. He then advanced to the saxophone and accordion and joined a band which evolved into the family band with his brother in-law John Bilyk taking the lead. John became very special to him especially in his later years where they spoke daily. Music was a part of his entire life, he was an awesome singer and a great dancer. He loved to entertain people and the more the merrier. He was quite the story teller and his jokes took on a whole new meaning. There was never any shyness in his demeanor, he took it all on and told it as it was. He had a way about him that attracted people and became the life of the party. He loved sports, played baseball and played a lot of shiny hockey on the creek when it was way too cold outside to skate. He loved his many sisters and has many stories to tell about each of them but it was time to find the woman of his dreams. He fell in love with his soul mate Jean Gizoski who worked at Zane Bilyk's store in Holden and married her in 1957. They had two weddings, one in Kopernick and one in Holden. They lived above Zane's store for a few years and then they moved home with his parents to take over the family farm. They built the next stage of history when they moved a house in from Edmonton to live on the farm. Over the next 43 years of marriage, they had a very good life, hard work on the farm and always close to family. They had 3 children, Wayne, Gregory and Debra and 3 grandchildren Dylan, Tanner and Logan. He had a great place in his heart for them all and especially loved to hold them as babies. He built a great legacy and was generous, kind and very loving. He loved to cook and always made sure that he had more than enough food for everyone as you never know who may drop in. He had a great love for a sale, whether it was at the grocery store or at an auction sale, if there was a bargain he just could not pass it up. And one day he will win the lottery with the many tickets that he bought. He had a great love for chocolate and it was the one thing he wanted to make sure we didn't forget as we transferred hospitals. He was all about family and ensuring that we stay close and connected. He was the greatest brother, father and grandfather and will be forever missed. He is survived by one son Gregory; daughter Debra (Bill) Miles; grandchildren Dylan, Tanner, Logan; sisters Anne Bilyk, Frances Komarnisky, Helen Stecyk, Amelia Hall, Eileen (Walter) Komarnisky; as well as numerous nieces and nephews, relatives and friends. He was predeceased by his wife Jean; son Wayne Richard; and sisters Mary Bilyk, and Kay Slemko. A prayer vigil will be held at 7:00 p.m., Sunday, January 17, 2016 at St. Gregory's Catholic Church in Holden, Alberta. Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m., Monday, January 18, 2016 at St. Gregory's Catholic Church in Holden, Alberta. Interment will follow at the Holden Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Mazankowski Heart Institute, St. Gregory's Catholic Church Holden or to St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church Holden.

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