EDWARD ARNOLD BRISKY

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EDWARD ARNOLD BRISKY

September 29, 1930 - April 9, 2023

Edward Arnold Brisky was born on September 29, 1930 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Peter and Mary Brisky, the youngest of three children. He lived his entire life at one address in the North End of Winnipeg. He was predeceased by his brother Mitchell, his sister Anne, her husband Charlie Fempel, and his nephew, Wayne Fempel. He is survived by his sister-in-law, Joyce Brisky, and numerous nieces and nephews, spanning three generations.
Ed had a lifelong, keen interest in sports, playing high school basketball, and subsequently with the Stellars, a provincial basketball team, from 1949-1951. He loved the outdoors, in any season of the year, skiing at Lariviere, and repeated ski trips to Aspen, CO. During high school his summer jobs included guiding on Lake of the Woods, with his friend Bernie Smith.
After high school Ed had a variety of jobs including work for CP Rail. It was during this employment that, thanks to a rail pass, he took the train to California, rode his bike down the coast, returning home by train. He developed a love for cycling long before it was in vogue. Equally significant on that trip was his introduction to Porsches, resulting in the subsequent purchase of a red (of course) 356, and a membership in the Winnipeg Sports Car Club.
Following his work with the CPR he was employed for a number of years at the Imperial Oil Refinery in East St. Paul. After this stint Ed switched gears, attending U of M to obtain his teaching degree. He was on a motorcycle trip in the summer of 1972 with two of his nephews when he got word that he was offered a job at Holy Ghost School, then on Selkirk Ave. After one year there he began teaching at St. George School in what was then the St. Vital School Division. Ed taught there for the remainder of his career, especially enjoying his time as a Phys. Ed. teacher. A highlight was taking the students to Camp Arnes, where he introduced them to a variety of winter adventures, including building a quinzee and sleeping in it. The students loved these trips and they created many memories for Ed as well.
Ed was an avid reader, sharing what he read with others, and a regular at the local library. He encouraged this love in the younger generation by volunteering at the Children's Hospital for many years, distributing books and reading stories to the patients. Not surprisingly, the enjoyment was mutual and it was a sad day when he decided to suspend this activity.
Ed retired relatively early, age wise, the outdoors remaining the centre of his focus and enjoyment. He cycled daily, for many years, 365 days of the year. This was noticed by people who didn't know him but were curious about the man they saw on his bicycle every day. He had a regular circuit taking him through Kildonan Park, with a regular stop at McDonald's where he had many friends. Family was known to stop at McDonald's if Ed's bike was parked outside. It was a convenient and suitable way to catch up with him from time to time.
He enjoyed his travels, generally camping, mostly to Dogtooth Lake in Ontario, where he and his friends, 'the two Bills', paddled to an island setting up camp, their own paradise. He also enjoyed time with his sister Anne and her family at their cottage at Nutimik Lake. In Ed's mind nature and nurture were closely linked.
What seemed like a minor incident with his bicycle in his mid-80's was the impetus for significant lifestyle changes. Ed struggled with these and the limitations that followed, replacing some of his physical activities, like cycling and cross-country skiing, with those more sedentary such as continuing to watch the Jets' or Bombers' games, and still reading so long as his eyes would allow.
His ongoing decline caused him to spend the last three weeks of his life at the St. Boniface Hospital. The circle of life closed peacefully for Ed there on April 9, 2023. The family thanks the staff at St. Boniface for their exemplary care and Friends Funeral Service for their kind assistance during this time. No formal service will be held.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 22, 2023