JOE KUTCHER

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JOE KUTCHER Joe Kutcher, aged 99, passed away on January 9, 2015, 10 days after the death of his wife of 74 years, Elsie Mary (Molly). Joe was born on February 2, 1915, in Slater, Manitoba, to Michael and Anna Kutcher. He is survived by his children Jo-Anne Muldrew (Milton), George and Richard (Carolyn Swayze); grandchildren Ida, Glyn and Stephen; and great-grandchildren Samantha, Richard, Hannah and Katy; his sisters Millie, Olga Code, and Isabel Christie (Chris), and numerous nephews and nieces. He was predeceased by siblings Mae Lafond, Florence Bedford, and Peter. Joe and Molly's life together led them to numerous locations across Manitoba (Ochre River, Portage La Prairie, McDonald, Thompson, Churchill, Clear Lake, Dauphin and Winnipeg), Saskatchewan (Elrose) and British Columbia (Vancouver, Deep Cove and Prince Rupert). In those many locations, Joe was a Warrant Officer in the RCAF and a first-class aeroengine mechanic; he ran a building supplies business, worked at Monarch Lumber, was a salesman for Forney Arc Welders, became a carpenter for the Foundation Company of Canada building roads in northern Manitoba, and was a builder in Thompson. He then worked on the first smoke-stacks in the mine in Thompson, established a sawmill, drove a taxi, and worked as a night clerk at the Thompson hotel. In Churchill, he was the supervisor of public construction, and in Riding Mountain National Park, he was the maintenance supervisor. His favourite pastime was bridge, and he was an excellent and enthusiastic player, playing up until the day before he entered hospital in December 2014. He also curled, bowled and danced with Molly, and participated in Toastmasters. Upon his retirement, he and Molly moved to Winnipeg, where he continued an active life. He built and sold clocks, yard decorations, and other crafts, and he became an avid metal detector, finding treasured items and returning them to their original owners, sometimes decades after the items were lost. This aspect of his life was featured in two television programs, and was covered by Gordon Sinclair Jr. in the Winnipeg Free Press. He volunteered for Meals on Wheels, and in the woodworking department at St. James Technical High School. He was also a favourite participant in his great-grandchildren Hannah and Katy's Grandparents' Days, where his exploding miniature outhouse provided literally hours of uproar in whatever classroom he entered. A memorial service for both Joe and Molly was held on Saturday, January 10, 2015, at Trinity United Church in Winnipeg. Thank you to the staff and residents of Catherine Place, where Joe resided, for welcoming him into their lives. In lieu of flowers, donation can be made to Meals on Wheels (174 Hargrave St.) or Trinity United Church (933 Summerside Ave.).

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 17, 2015