Pat Zukowski
February 12, 1963 – August 4, 2024
It is with tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of this awesome fisherman. He was a warrior, battling Cholangiocarcinoma, and he quadrupled the life expectancy that the doctors had predicted. He fought with strength, stubbornness, gratitude, hopefulness, and of course, his incomparable sense of humour. Even in his final weeks, he was building meaningful connections with the hospital staff and was entertaining everyone with his quick wit. Pat was born to John and Ann Zukowski, and the family lived in Lodgepole where John and Ann started JoAnn Trucking. The family relocated to Brooks when Pat was about 6, and his parents started Ideal Oilfield Construction and later set up DaPaJo Construction for the three boys, Dave, Pat and John. When their dad died tragically in an oilfield accident, Dave and Pat took the reins of DaPaJo and built a 45-year-old business and legacy of which Pat was extremely proud. DaPaJo was built on hard work, as well as the old school values of loyalty and integrity. Pat and Melanie Reed-Zukowski married in 1992 and they built a wonderful life together. They worked hard and played hard, traveling the world and collecting friends and “family” wherever they went. When Pat got sick in the fall of 2021, they became a tight-knit team that rose to the challenge of battling this rare form of cancer. Their chocolate lab, Lola, was an amazing companion, snuggling with Pat on his tougher days. Pat loved his brothers, Dave and John, and he did his best to impart his fishing expertise to them, but alas, they were never able to out-fish this founding member of Team Awesome. Pat also had a wealth of friends who supported him these past years, and the old saying, “He never met a stranger” described him perfectly. Pat loved people, and he loved helping people just as much. He joined the Brooks Kinsmen Club in 1993 and spent the better part of 3 decades serving the community through that club. In his early years, he wanted his Kinsmen legacy to be replacing the decades old stands at the rodeo grounds, so when you look at the outdoor arena at the new rodeo grounds, all of the metalwork is due to Pat and DaPaJo. He would run security for the rodeo dances and he loved pushing stock at the Brooks Rodeo. He was one of two Kinsmen who instigated the Brooks Christmas Parade. And of course, he thrived on the connections he made through the Kinsmen club. He volunteered with Ducks Unlimited and for pretty much anyone who asked for a helping hand. No one will ever know the full extent of what Pat did to help others as he did not seek accolades but found joy in lending a helping hand. A Celebration of Life for Pat will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, September 8th, 2024, at the Silver Sage Community Corral in Brooks, Alberta. Please feel free to dress colourfully, casually and know that you might get a little dirt on your shoes. In memory of Pat, if desired, memorial tributes may be made directly to the charity of your choice, or to the Reed Family Library at the Camrose Association for Community Living (cafcl.ca), 4604 57th Street, Camrose, Alberta T4V 2E7, the Brooks & District Health Foundation, Bag 300, Brooks, Alberta T1R 1B3, or the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation (cholangiocarcinoma.org), 5526 West 13400 South, #510, Herriman, Utah 84096, USA.
Cremation is entrusted to and conducted at
Smith Funeral Home Ltd., Brooks
Funeral arrangements entrusted to:
SMITH FUNERAL HOME LTD.
BROOKS, ALBERTA
Condolences may be forwarded through www.sfh.ca
Telephone 403-362-4636 or Toll Free 866-362-4652
“Our Families Serving Your Family with Complete Burial or Cremation Services”
