I got to know Oldrich and Janine when they came to a financial seminar for Investors Group. Throughout at least 20 years we became very good friends. Oldrich and Janine were the ideal couple. They loved each other so much and still held hands whenever they came to my office for a consultation. I grew to love and respect them so much and they enriched my life with the glee in his eyes and his beautiful laugh. I will miss them both. But, now he has joined his beautiful Janeau. God bless them both.
Ever since I was little, my grandpa would recount stories of how he made a daring escape from Czechoslovakia after the Second World War; or how his time as a staff member at a mental hospital in Europe gave him enough material to write his own version of "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" many times over if he so wished; or how he got revenge on some dreadfully-tasting cheese by dropping it from his airplane onto the factory whence it came. My grandfather was a man who not only had a sharp sense of humour, but also had a great amount of determination, whether he was flying through the sky in his plane or fixing household items with only duct tape in his toolkit. The exact amount of truthfulness contained within his many tales will remain a mystery, but I like to think that he went out the way that he said he would: at the age of one-hundred-and-two, and at the hands of a jealous husband.
Oldrich will always be remembered for his indomitable spirit and his great sense of fun at the birthday parties. He loved to sing the Czech birthday song and would hold the last note as long as he could and we would all clap and cheer. The Christmas traditions of his special potato salad with so many ingredients and the floating of the walnut shell boats lighted by candles will remain a fond memory for the grandchildren and for all of us.
Oldrich was a fine man and we were privileged to know him. He and his beloved wife,
Janeau, are together again.
Cher oncle Olda,
Tu détiens une place toute particulière dans mon coeur. Aujourd'hui, d'où tu me regardes, tu sais à quel point celui-ci déborde d'amour et de reconnaissance envers toi et Jeannot pour toutes les bontés et la gentillesse que vous n'avez jamais cessé de me témoigner. Je peux t'assurer que ce sentiment est partagé par mes frères et ma soeur et également mon conjoint, Claude, ainsi que notre fils Michaël qui a eu le plaisir de te rencontrer. Merci pour ton humour et tes histoires abracadabrantes. Ton caractère, ta détermination, ton invincibilité font de toi un être plus grand que nature. Un homme hors du commun qui a su reconstruire ses racines loin de sa terre natale. Tu as fait de ta vie un succès grâce à de nobles qualités telles que : l'intégrité, l'honnêteté, le courage, la persévérance, la bonté, la générosité et bien d'autres encore... Congratulations and most of all Thank you!
With peace, love and condolences, I offer my deepest sympathies and heartfelt prayers to Oldrich's family. I never had the pleasure of meeting Anne-Marie's Father. Instead, through story and loving words, I would hear Anne-Marie speak of him with a spark in her eye and the sweetest adoration. May these Florida bound words travel all the way to Quebec and wrap Anne-Marie in a big, warm hug. Wishing great comfort and love to all beloved family during this sad time.