Mr. William Trchala

Obituary

Good day to all of you and thank you for being here with us today...

Our time begins at birth and ends on this earth with death. For most, it is about 25,000 days. Already I can see the wheels in your heads turning trying to figure out where you may be on this journey. It doesn’t seem like a whole lot of time when said aloud, does it?  That is why it is so important to do something positive with the gift of life that has been granted to us, in other words to leave the world a better and brighter place because of who you were and what you did, and today I’d like share with you 3 of the ways my dad did this.

Time. We are all given the same amount of time each hour, each day, each week, each month (you get the picture).  Yet, many of us often say things like “If I only had the time” or “There’s just not enough time in the day”.  My dad knew that time was a gift, and one that he was willing to share with others.  Whether it was helping his mother and sister by loading up the car and driving them down to the St. Lawerence Market each weekend to sell their wares, or cleaning the above ground pool for the 17^th time that week so that it would be clean for the kids and cousins to do whirlpools in,  or dressing up as Santa for a Christmas assembly at the school where I work  or taking the time to wake up in the early hours of the morning to run out in his boxers to help a undercover police officer place handcuffs on a felon (true story), he did these things without a second thought. Think about how you spend your time?  Can you say you put the same amount of time helping others as you do scrolling through your phone?  No judgements from me, just remember that time is something you can never get back.

Talent. I always think about the Parable of the Talents and how my dad was much like the first servant who doubled his 5 talents; in other words, he did not “hide his light under a bushel” while here on earth. Anyone who knew my dad, especially before the worst of his Alzheimer's disease set in, knew he was the life of any party. He was a very animated storyteller and would love to share his gift of humor and storytelling with everyone, whether it was your first time hearing the story or your 23^rd, he shared it with love, laughter and a sense of utter joy and delight. Let us be reminded to share our gifts and talents with those around us, remembering to enrich the lives of everyone we meet.

Lastly, Treasure. Whether it was an extra dollar bill at the arcade or our Friday dinners at Ponderosa or Mother’s Pizzeria, my dad knew how to share what he had with others.  Two very important memories come to mind when I think of my dad and money: the first, when I was about 10 years old and him coming home from a day visiting his four-legged friends (many a good math lessons were held here for him and I, mainly on the withdrawal end!) with the most ridiculous looking Pekinese stuffed dog I have ever seen in my life and a state-of-the-art mini synthesizer because he thought my brother and I might like it.  He was so proud of these gifts; I can still see the smile on his face as he walked through our front door. The other memory that stands out to me, and perhaps one of the most important lessons my dad taught me, occurred at a Swiss Chalet where we had a rather grouchy waitress.  At the end of the meal, when it came time to pay the bill and leave her a tip, he left what I thought was too much for the service we received, so I called him out on it; his reply “she’s probably had a lousy day and needs a little light in her dark day”.  Let us all be the light in someone else’s day by committing ourselves to sharing a small part of what we reap financially with others, especially those in need.

In short, my dad led a beautiful life in which he tried to be the best version of himself and leave the world a better place for all of us.  Through his gifts of time, talent and treasure, he will be remembered as the truly wonderful man that he was.

God Bless,

Mary Kathleen Trchala

       

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