Michael Joseph Winiarz

August 20, 1960 – April 24, 2024 

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Michael (Mike) Winiarz in the early morning hours of April 24, 2024. He is survived by his wife, Patricia Mockler, his children, Sharon Winiarz (Sean), Kate Winiarz (Aaron) and Greg Winiarz (Melissa), his grandchildren, Aliana and Benjamin, his brother and sister, nieces and nephews. Together we also remember his parents, Elizabeth Riley and Jozef Winiarz.

Mike’s family and friends were not given a long window to say goodbye. From his diagnosis with stage 4 cancer to his passing, only seven short weeks elapsed. His final days were filled with the love and care of his wife, Pat, who spent the time watching music videos, Beatles documentaries, touring their childhood neighbourhoods on Google Maps, and attempting to get as much blueberry pie into him as possible.

Born in Montreal, Mike was a proud son of a Polish war veteran and a British firecracker. Mike met Pat through mutual friends in a bar after her graduation trip to the West coast was suddenly cancelled. They were married in May of 1981, welcoming Sharon in 1982, Kate in 1985, and Greg in 1988. In 1991, the family uprooted from St. Hubert, QC, all the way to Transcona, a suburb of Winnipeg. He worked many jobs, from courier to customer service representative to labourer, ultimately settling in for over 20 years of work at CN Railway. He retired in 2021.

Mike was an active member of the Transcona dive bar community. From darts at the Pandy to beers at any place that would have him, he was a fixture at some bartop somewhere.

We learned a lot from Mike’s existence. He was a complicated guy with fierce opinions. Anyone that interacted with him knew that he had passion. Unfortunately that passion sometimes manifested as anger and fear. In his passing, he taught many of those around him to live with kinder, more open hearts. To love and openly support those you hold closest, and to meet them where they are, rather than holding out for them to be something else. To lean on family and friends in hard times. To celebrate.

Mike’s ashes were spread on the morning of July 21st, 2024, by Pat and Greg.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you tell the people around you that you love them in the beautiful and complicated ways that they are. And to feel free to disagree and tell each other to eff off sometimes – but to do so with humility, vulnerability, and supportive sarcasm.

Most importantly, raise a glass to a complicated man living in complicated times.