Obituary of Allan BEREZOWSKI

He was a husband, father, grandfather, brother, son and friend. It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our beloved father also known as Mr. B, Bear or Big Al. Born in a farm house just outside Veregin, Saskatchewan; Allan was the middle child of 5 children. He grew up in the strong farming culture of Saskatchewan where he learned to appreciate the great outdoors; farm-work, sports, fishing, hunting and horseback riding. In 1956 he found work in Kitimat, British Columbia where he met Grace Gomes and on January 25, 1958 they were married and moved to Calgary where they had three children; Suzette (Rodger), Darren (Marynna) and Brent (Pam). Allan was blessed with two grandchildren from each of his children: Evan and Ben, Dana Jane and Matthew, Chloe and Payton. They say you can take the kid out of the prairie but you can never take the prairie out of the kid; this statement was very true for Allan who always wore cowboy boots, blue jeans, plaid shirts and big belt buckles. He made it his regular routine to hang out at the “property” or make his yearly pilgrimage to Saskatchewan to visit family and friends. The Berezowski home had an “open door policy”, where anyone was welcome at any time, which set the tone for many lively discussions and story-telling which often went late into the night. He had a B.A. and B.E.D. from the University of Calgary and a M.E.D. from UCLA. He was a teacher, counselor and principal within the Calgary School Board. He helped create the “Grandparents program” where kids would take food to seniors in exchange for reading assistance. This initiative also spurred the Winter Jacket Program to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Calgary. He was a President of Triwood community center and helped spearhead the movement in which Triwood would become the first community center to have an indoor hockey arena. He was a coach and mentor to all his children and their friends in: hockey, baseball and soccer. His leadership as a coach helped amass 7 city championships and 1 provincial. Allan your list of accomplishments are great; most importantly, you will be remembered for your generosity and how you took the time to encourage others to be their very best in life. You have left a positive mark on this world and because of you, many have been blessed. You will be dearly missed! There will a private ceremony for family. Allan will be laid to rest beside his wife of 52 years Grace (November 14, 2010) at the Mausoleum in Queens Park Cemetery. A Cowboy Boot and Big-Belt-Buckle memorial will be held on Saturday, September 27th location TBA. If so desired, financial tributes may be made to the Boys and Girls club of Calgary.