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Gerald Chupa, May 10, 1940 to February 16, 2011
FTLComm - Tisdale - Wednesday, March 2, 2011

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Gerald Chupa brought his family to Tisdale when he was working for SaskPower, in 1970, then four years later he left the work which he enjoyed considerably to start his own backhoe and trucking business, something he enjoyed even more.

It is remarkable that so many folks work at jobs that become apart of their life, but there are a few who find out early what they really want and with that knowledge, they can select a job, or start a business, that gives them the opportunity to earn a living and feel accomplishment with each day's work. That is what Gerald Chupa did.

When he would talk about his days with the power company you could see that it was something that he was proud of and gave him a sense of getting something done. So it was with the backhoe business, he was extraordinarily skilled and efficient in putting machines to work and fitting pipes together. His skill was completely obvious to anyone watching him at work, doing the job right the first time one that would not have to be dug up again to get it right. The machines of his business were cared for with skill and devotion. He could explain in detail everything there was to know about his beloved Mac trucks and the key to a successful business is being able to go to work because your equipment is always well maintained.

That awareness of what is important made him a very interesting person because he had confidence and the ability to understand the complexities of not only how a project should be done but how one conducts ones life. The first time I met him I was struck by his assuredness both in what he was doing and the opinions he held about things.

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Some people consider confident people to just have an extra amount of what we often call "common sense" but in this man's case it was more than that. He spent a lot of time working at repetitive tasks that offered him time to consider things and he did not waste that time. As a consequence, one did not so much carry on a conversation with Gerald Chupa, as one entered into a well thought out dialogue. Just as in his work there was a level of efficiency that few people ever achieve. Little time was ever spent on setting up the background to a story but rather he would skip the sort of pre-amble that most of us stuff into what we say and he would dive into the midst of a story demanding that you devote full attention to putting the whole thing into context.

He lived a full and well rounded life with exceptional business sense, attention to what was essential and in all things relying very heavily upon dealing honestly and fairly with his customers, employees and friends.

That old saying about being able to judge a person by the company they keep was something that clarified the nature of Gerald Chupa. His wife for fourty-six years is an equally remarkable person and together they had four sons and have been rewarded with seven grand children.

Gerald was a hockey fan, a person who loved to travel, primarily because of the fascination he found in the people he would meet. The house and shop out at Tobin Lake was a big part of his later years, but above all, he was proud that the business he had built up, not only continued, but flourished when he sold out to his son Colin.

I will miss his stories and the insight he had into the events of our world. I just consider myself fortunate to have got to know him. I am not the only person to share these feelings. The RECPlex auditorium was full Monday when the community came together with his family to celebrate Gerald Chupa's life.

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