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Eugene Dauk
June 5, 2016
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<div itemprop="description">Eugene was the oldest son of Alois and Elizabeth (Kramer) Dauk. One of 8 siblings raised on the family farm near Annaheim. After just 5 years of formal education Dad had to abandon school to help with the family farm and ultimately start his long career in construction with early years spent working on school construction/repairs. His career in construction and in particular drywall work then took him away from home with work across Western Canada before he returned to Saskatchewan to start his own company. From humble roots of building a home from lumber salvaged by his brothers Dad created Dauk Development which went on to build many homes, duplexes and apartment buildings throughout Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Later years saw Dad scale back the large crews to allow time to manage their rental units and to focus on specialty remodelling work. Our father's incredible 60 years plus in construction meant that there was little he could not do or figure out. In those years Dad also demonstrated that his word was his bond as he always believed that a handshake was the most meaningful contract. Despite little formal education Dad had a passion for learning and that showed in his work and craftsmanship. In building his apartment buildings Dad handled every aspect of the work from the business plan and the financing, to the building design and drawings, to all the purchasing, contracting and construction supervision, and even into land development. He was truly a self made man. Despite his accomplishments and skills, when asked what he did for a living, our father always simply answered "I pound nails for a living". When asked why he liked construction as a career Dad gave a simple answer in saying "I love seeing something at the end of the day that wasn't there when I started". We also knew that he loved the problem solving that came with the jobs, especially the renovations he did in later years. His kids, like many others around him benefitted from his skills as we all sought assistance with renovations, decks, furniture etc. His craftsmanship lives on in many homes he has touched. Beyond his work dad had a number of passions over his life including travel, baseball, bingo, bowling and gardening. Although his bowling had given way to sore hips at one time Dad was among the very best in 5 pin bowling tossing a perfect game and 4, 400+ games in a single month. When he was on his game he was known as "Gene the Machine". The love of bingo was inherited from Mom and gave Dad an outlet for another great passion of his, meeting new people and talking. Dad enjoyed nothing more than a great conversation, except perhaps a great conversation while travelling! Dad also loved his yard, his flowers and gardening. In particular he enjoyed his wide variety of tomatoes. Dad's love of travelling began early and stayed with him throughout his life and was something he shared with his family. From home built motor home adventures throughout the US southwest to the South Pacific and numerous trips to Europe Dad loved to see new places. Luckily Dad found the perfect travelling partner in our Mom. Mom and Dad shared almost 52 years of happiness and love before Dad passed away. Together they shared every adventure and challenge that life provided them. Together they also raised a family of three children through countless moves in the early years in Saskatoon as well as in Prince Albert and White Rock BC. (Dad's renovation skills often meant Mom spent more time raising the family in a construction zone than in a finished home.) As a father, our Dad excelled as a role model and as a care giver to our special brother Jeffrey who lived his life with a host of handicaps. Mom and Dad managed to take care of Jeff at home for all of his 41 years. No one taught us more about life, love, kindness and faith than Dad. <br>In retirement Mom and Dad enjoyed time chasing the sun down to Mesa, Arizona where they enjoyed the company of many new and old friends. For Dad each day of sunshine was a glorious day. Dad was predeceased by his parents Alois and Elizabeth, his sisters Delphine (Joe Berting) and Irene (Erwin Ehalt) and his brothers Jim and Fred (Loretta) and his beloved son Jeffrey. Dad is survived by his sisters Rose (Don Osczevski), Lucille (Dan Bulatovich), and Joan (Ed Wernick), his partner in all things in life his wife Audrey (Politeski) and his daughter Michele (Don Sthamann) and family Lindsay and Nicole, and son Russell (Marita) and family Brennan, Morgan, Griffin and Tatum. The Vigil of Prayers for Eugene will be held Friday, June 10, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial held Saturday, June 11 at 10:30 a.m. both at St. John Bosco Parish (1202 Avenue O South, Saskatoon, SK). Online condolences may be sent from www.hillcrestmemorial.ca Arrangements entrusted to Wally Markewich.<br></div>