Obituary for Ron Radakovits
On January 7, 2022 at the age of 75 years, Reinhold (Ron) Radakovits peacefully left this world to join our Lord Jesus Christ in heaven.
He is survived by his wife Linda (Krawetz); his daughters Tara and Rhonda (André Hudon); and grandchildren Eva, Samuel and Lucy. His sister Eleanore (Jim Griffiths) and nieces Christina and Kathy.
He was predeceased by his parents Ludwig and Eva (Radakovits) and his best friend and brother Louis.
Ron didn’t live a typical life with a career or major worldly achievements; however he was a man of many talents. He could accomplish anything he put his mind to. Ron had a passion for motorcycles, particularly Harley Davidsons. He enjoyed rebuilding and painting them. For a few short years he co-owned the business “The Bike Works” doing what he loved. He then moved on and purchased a property where he and Linda built their first home and started their family.
Ron was a man of detail and perfection. Everything had to be constructed with the best and strongest materials and put together with care. He saw value and vision in everything when most people didn’t. As an example, rather than purchase brand new wood, he would upcycle a good pallet of strong wood to construct a bench with perfectly made lap joints. He knew something about everything and could repair anything. That was certainly discovered and admired by others. Ron was the go-to man when things broke down. He would drop whatever project he was working on (which were many) to help his fellow neighbour or friend fix whatever equipment needed repair. Often times his help came with his opinion. Ron’s delivery of “advice” was never sugar-coated, but usually stern and always “correct”. Right or wrong, his intentions were from the heart. He had no problem making conversation with any person he met. He took any opportunity to give advice even if it was a stranger in a store. His common phrases always began with “Listen!” , “You know what you should do?”, and “No No, you need to do...”
He made many friends over the years but we will never forget the “gang” of friends he grew up with. No matter how much time would pass between visits they would always continue the conversation right where they had left it.
As mentioned, Ron was faced with many challenges. One was the spring flooding his property faced every year. He spent hours building a dyke with his small Case crawler-loader to keep the water out. Just when he thought he had it under control, the flood of ’97 hit and the devastation began. Instead of throwing in the towel, Ron searched for a bigger piece of equipment so he could build a bigger dyke. He found a 23-tonne crawler that offered a great deal; however, like Ron’s life it didn’t come without a challenge. This equipment was in pieces and located in Stonewall. With just a manual and many daily trips, Ron dedicated endless hours to put this Brutus back together and take him home. Of course that wasn’t good enough.
Once he got it home he took it apart again to give it a fresh coat of paint! Once we felt the house shake from the massive loader’s engine running we knew Brutus was completed and ready to work.
Ron was a hard worker but don’t be fooled by his calloused hands and rough character. He had a soft side, especially for animals. He and Linda raised many farm animals to sustain their family. They weren’t just animals to him, they were his pets. He had an aura about him that attracted all kinds of critters, great or small. He rescued and fed many stray cats over the years. His patience and gentleness tamed the most feral cat. It seemed as though it was reciprocated as they were the only ones that were able to tame him. They certainly were always able to win over his heart and make their way into his home and onto his bed. Wildlife was another passion of his. There wasn’t a day he didn’t go out to make sure his precious birds and skunks weren’t fed. He had a wonderful opportunity to help Rhonda rehabilitate and raise an injured Canada gosling named Harry. Although Harry (female) lived with Rhonda she fell in love with Ron. Every time Ron would drive into Rhonda’s driveway, Harry would immediately recognize him and honk and hobble over to him. He would lay on the ground and the two would converse in their own language while Harry nibbled on Ron’s hair and clothes.
Ron wasn’t without fault. Over the last few years as his mobility decreased and pain increased, he quietly submerged himself in God’s word. He watched and listened to various teachers of the bible. This became a new passion for Ron. He had a particular affinity for Les Feldick (www.lesfeldick.org), a Bible teacher from the mid-west. Just like the pets and wildlife, we could see the Lord Jesus slowly grab a hold of his heart and change his taste in music and shows. Often there was a radio playing gospel hymns whether inside or outside the house. Ron was not a man to be reliant on anyone, so it was especially hard for him to drop his pride and yield control of his life to God. In his last days and hours, it was important that whatever was coming from the TV or radio had to do with God’s word. Linda, Rhonda and André were fortunate to be able to pray and serenade Ron with his favourite hymns as he went to meet the Lord. He will forever be missed but never forgotten.
Flowers are nice, but Ron would prefer you make a donation to support feral felines. Please consider Craig Street Cats, 16-1421 St. James St., WPG, MB, R3H 0Y9 https://www.craigstreetcats.ca
He is survived by his wife Linda (Krawetz); his daughters Tara and Rhonda (André Hudon); and grandchildren Eva, Samuel and Lucy. His sister Eleanore (Jim Griffiths) and nieces Christina and Kathy.
He was predeceased by his parents Ludwig and Eva (Radakovits) and his best friend and brother Louis.
Ron didn’t live a typical life with a career or major worldly achievements; however he was a man of many talents. He could accomplish anything he put his mind to. Ron had a passion for motorcycles, particularly Harley Davidsons. He enjoyed rebuilding and painting them. For a few short years he co-owned the business “The Bike Works” doing what he loved. He then moved on and purchased a property where he and Linda built their first home and started their family.
Ron was a man of detail and perfection. Everything had to be constructed with the best and strongest materials and put together with care. He saw value and vision in everything when most people didn’t. As an example, rather than purchase brand new wood, he would upcycle a good pallet of strong wood to construct a bench with perfectly made lap joints. He knew something about everything and could repair anything. That was certainly discovered and admired by others. Ron was the go-to man when things broke down. He would drop whatever project he was working on (which were many) to help his fellow neighbour or friend fix whatever equipment needed repair. Often times his help came with his opinion. Ron’s delivery of “advice” was never sugar-coated, but usually stern and always “correct”. Right or wrong, his intentions were from the heart. He had no problem making conversation with any person he met. He took any opportunity to give advice even if it was a stranger in a store. His common phrases always began with “Listen!” , “You know what you should do?”, and “No No, you need to do...”
He made many friends over the years but we will never forget the “gang” of friends he grew up with. No matter how much time would pass between visits they would always continue the conversation right where they had left it.
As mentioned, Ron was faced with many challenges. One was the spring flooding his property faced every year. He spent hours building a dyke with his small Case crawler-loader to keep the water out. Just when he thought he had it under control, the flood of ’97 hit and the devastation began. Instead of throwing in the towel, Ron searched for a bigger piece of equipment so he could build a bigger dyke. He found a 23-tonne crawler that offered a great deal; however, like Ron’s life it didn’t come without a challenge. This equipment was in pieces and located in Stonewall. With just a manual and many daily trips, Ron dedicated endless hours to put this Brutus back together and take him home. Of course that wasn’t good enough.
Once he got it home he took it apart again to give it a fresh coat of paint! Once we felt the house shake from the massive loader’s engine running we knew Brutus was completed and ready to work.
Ron was a hard worker but don’t be fooled by his calloused hands and rough character. He had a soft side, especially for animals. He and Linda raised many farm animals to sustain their family. They weren’t just animals to him, they were his pets. He had an aura about him that attracted all kinds of critters, great or small. He rescued and fed many stray cats over the years. His patience and gentleness tamed the most feral cat. It seemed as though it was reciprocated as they were the only ones that were able to tame him. They certainly were always able to win over his heart and make their way into his home and onto his bed. Wildlife was another passion of his. There wasn’t a day he didn’t go out to make sure his precious birds and skunks weren’t fed. He had a wonderful opportunity to help Rhonda rehabilitate and raise an injured Canada gosling named Harry. Although Harry (female) lived with Rhonda she fell in love with Ron. Every time Ron would drive into Rhonda’s driveway, Harry would immediately recognize him and honk and hobble over to him. He would lay on the ground and the two would converse in their own language while Harry nibbled on Ron’s hair and clothes.
Ron wasn’t without fault. Over the last few years as his mobility decreased and pain increased, he quietly submerged himself in God’s word. He watched and listened to various teachers of the bible. This became a new passion for Ron. He had a particular affinity for Les Feldick (www.lesfeldick.org), a Bible teacher from the mid-west. Just like the pets and wildlife, we could see the Lord Jesus slowly grab a hold of his heart and change his taste in music and shows. Often there was a radio playing gospel hymns whether inside or outside the house. Ron was not a man to be reliant on anyone, so it was especially hard for him to drop his pride and yield control of his life to God. In his last days and hours, it was important that whatever was coming from the TV or radio had to do with God’s word. Linda, Rhonda and André were fortunate to be able to pray and serenade Ron with his favourite hymns as he went to meet the Lord. He will forever be missed but never forgotten.
Flowers are nice, but Ron would prefer you make a donation to support feral felines. Please consider Craig Street Cats, 16-1421 St. James St., WPG, MB, R3H 0Y9 https://www.craigstreetcats.ca