June (Gamble) Brychka

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of their wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, June Brychka, on Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 13, 2018) at the age of 85 years. 

June was born on June 7, 1932 in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, second daughter of Nelda (Beam) and Harry Gamble.  In 1934, the family moved to Kenora, Ontario and in 1940, to Dauphin where her father worked with Western Grocers.  June completed her schooling at McKenzie Elementary, Whitmore Junior High and high school at Dauphin Collegiate Institute (DCI).  By the time June was in grade 10, she was among the first classes to take the technical courses offered and she chose to take the business course.  After finishing her Grade 11, June was employed at Snodgrass Jewellers in 1949.

June and Bill Brychka were united in marriage on June 7, 1950 and moved to Kamsack, Saskatchewan where Bill was employed as a trainman with the CNR and later returning to Dauphin in 1951.  She was employed with Sears and then at the Dauphin General Hospital as a switchboard operator as well as an admitting clerk.  In January 1969, she joined Manitoba Telephone System as a telephone operator; first on the cord board and later to computers.  She always felt the computers took away from the personal services the operators felt they had with their customers.  June retired from MTS in 1989.

Family was the love of her life.  From neighbourhood birthday parties for her children to holiday family dinners to family vacations, June couldn’t wait to spoil her family and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  

June was known for her baking and being the “egg lady” for the UCW Group at the Dauphin First United Church.  She was definitely known for her cookies, dainties and egg salad sandwiches (with her secret mayonnaise recipe!) and she delighted in baking with her children and grandchildren and teaching them the family secrets to great shortbread and iced gingerbread cookies. 

Her love for hockey started when her parents took her to games on the road and then when dating Bill who played with Gilbert Plains. It grew to cheering for her son and grandsons and then as season ticket holders with the Dauphin Kings.  June was also a very organized and dedicated Mom.  There wasn’t a piano or dance recital, school concert, hockey game, music festival competition, or church function her children were in that she missed.   

In 2004, June started the Dauphin First United Church Knitting Ministry with Jean Saboraki.  Together, they distributed hand-made shawls to individuals in North America, Europe and other countries who were going through cancer or other health-related illnesses; to seniors in personal care homes in Dauphin; and for children living at Ronald McDonald House to help provide comfort and support. 

June and Bill had the fortune of travelling to Harlingen, Texas to visit June’s parents a few times before they, too, became Canadian Snowbird in Mesa, Arizona for several years and cruising with friends to the Caribbean and Panama Canal.  She always wanted the family to have great memories to store in their “memory boxes” and there were plenty to be had when the family drove to Disneyland in 1968 and lived the cabin-life at Lake Ketepwa, Saskatechwan, Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and Clear Lake, Manitoba.

She will be loving remembered by her husband Bill and daughters Jan Brychka (Peter Davidson) of Canmore, AB, Mary Brychka (Bob Antonchuk) of Winnipeg and son Jim Brychka (Laurie Matheson) of Denver, CO along with her grandchildren Nickayla Moe (Calgary, AB) & Kassandra Moe (Canmore, AB), Craig (Kasia) Flanigan (Beaumont, AB) & Erica (Curtis) Schmidt (Winnipeg), Jillian Brychka (Denver, CO) & Cole (Lauren) Brychka (Forney, Texas) and great-grandchildren Shay & Kellen Flanigan (Beaumont, AB) and Emery Taylor & Evelyn Brychka (Forney, Texas).

June is also survived by her nieces and nephew Kathryn Anderson, Bruce (Janet) Anderson (Winnipeg), Karyn (Murray) Anderson (Carlisle, ON), Melinda Brechka (Dearborn, MI), Joanne (Don) Oleski (Melville, SK), Marcia (Richard) Klak (Calgary, AB), Donna (Bruce) Slusar (Saskatoon (SK), Carol (David) Enns (Winnipeg) and numerous great-nieces and nephews.

She was pre-deceased by her father Harry Gamble (November 1991) and mother Nelda (Beam) Gamble (September 1994) and sister Alene (Gamble) Anderson (January 2016).

June asked that her family and friends celebrate her life and not mourn her death, reminding her children of the love she had for each of them: “Just know that we have loved you as no other parents could love their children.  We were blessed with three very special children and have always been very proud of all your accomplishments throughout your lives.  You all meant the whole world to us.”

A Celebration of June’s Life will be held on Thursday, June 7, 2018 at 1:00pm at the Dauphin First United Church in Dauphin, MB with Ilene Dowd officiating.  Should friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations in memory of June may be made to Dauphin First United Church.

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