Obituary of Paul John Tobolski

November 5, 1942 - Aberfeldy, Scotland

August 12, 2024 - Calgary, Alberta

 

Paul Tobolski of Calgary, AB, passed away peacefully at his home in Calgary, on Monday, August 12, 2024, at the age of 81 years.

 

A child of the Second World War, and son to a ‘Great Escaper’ (his father Pawel was one of the 50 executed in March 1943 after successfully escaping Stalag Luft III), Paul lived with his widowed mother, first in Aberfeldy, Scotland, then in Toronto, Edmonton, Los Angeles, California, and finally back to Edmonton, where they settled permanently. Paul attended eight schools before arriving at Eastwood Junior High School and then East Glen High School in Edmonton. 

 

He joined and greatly enjoyed his time with the Loyal Edmonton Regiment in the Militia, completing basic training at Camp Borden, and working his way to Captain over his career. He completed Architectural Technology at NAIT in Edmonton, working with Transport Canada and then the City of Edmonton as an Architectural Draftsman.

 

In 1968 when he decided to learn to ski, he met the love of his life Joyce, buying her a 15-cent hot chocolate at the Edmonton Ski Club. They married on August 22, 1970. Their daughter Carrie was born in 1972 and their son Barry in 1977.

 

Paul was hired with the RCMP in 1973 managing their Alberta properties, meeting a lifelong friend, Pat Ulrich, during this period, and later his wife Laura. Joyce and Paul decided to make a big transition in their family’s life moving to Banff where he took the job as Building Inspector and Carpenter in 1978.

 

He retired early, took additional training to become a home inspector and opened ‘Ability Home Inspections’ which he enjoyed operating until his second retirement in 2018; though he was always available for advice to friends and family on their home purchases or renovation plans. Paul enjoyed spending time outdoors, whether hiking or skiing and especially during his backcountry Warden cabin lodge carpentry work projects for Parks Canada which he accessed via horse, hiking or helicopter drops. He ran backpacking trips with his company ‘Walk the Wild’ with international visitors for several years as well.

 

Perhaps because he was a child of the war, with no father nor siblings, Paul had a special connection to his only family peer, cousin Jack Rozwadowski and his family (their mothers had a close relationship, escaping Poland together during the occupation). Paul and Jack’s families made special family memories during trips back and forth between Erie and Banff and then Colorado, California, Connecticut and Calgary and Fernie, attending each others’ children’s weddings, for special birthdays or ski trips. Paul was especially proud of the close family connection and deep friendships his children have with Jack’s children and their families. In the words of Jack’s daughter ‘cousin Annie’ about Uncle Paul, “he was generous, and created such a legacy from the small amount WWII left him with”.

 

Paul had diverse interests and loved to learn. You could often find him watching historical movies and biographies, visiting museums and historical places during his travels and reading about the world or how things worked.

 

He would strike up a conversation with many international visitors to Banff during his 24 years living there. It was common for him to bring home the ‘new friends’ he met when out walking the family Scottish terrier ‘Aberfeldy’ (Aber). Whether from England, Scotland, New York or Israel, he’d welcome them into our home and Joyce would host them for a coffee or even dinner.

 

He also cared about and loved being involved in the community. He was active in his church community, particularly in Banff, where he and Joyce made close friendships with Reverend Duncan and his family. He was a longstanding Legion member, participating in Remembrance Day parades and social activities in Banff.  He trained to become a volunteer firefighter. Our family spent many dinners in restaurants waiting for him when he was called out to a fire; his food being kept warm by the restaurant. Our family also enjoyed the summer firefighter hose coupling competitions hosted in Banff (as we’d often get sprayed by water on the hot days), and the Santa visits at the firehall, and we were very proud to see him on the back of the firetruck going down Banff Avenue in his firefighting gear.

 

Paul used his carpentry skills to build a cabin for his young family just West of Edmonton at Alberta Beach on the beautiful Lac St. Anne sandy waterfront. He built it from scratch with his own hands and the guidance of lifelong friend Bill McKeeman. He enjoyed building the A-frame and was always puttering around on a project at ‘the lake’.  Later, he oversaw the construction of the family home in Banff and the renovations of the home in Calgary where he and Joyce have lived since 2002. He used his carpentry skills to build his model railroad, creating towns, landscapes and cityscapes from scratch, most recently with the help of his granddaughter Fyfe who he taught to build tiny trees.

 

A big animal lover, Paul and Joyce had a Scottish terrier “Bonnie” when they were newlyweds and another ‘Scotty’ “Aberfeldy” when the kids were school age, both of which he adored. Paul was always available to give a cuddle or a treat to his kids’ pets. He had a soft spot for the pets of the family including Pilot, Sammie, Dash, Odin and Leon. Paul spent many enjoyable days visiting the Calgary Zoo with Joyce and the grandkids, and he loved to visit zoos on his travels. Some favourites were Denver, Edinburgh and the Berlin Zoo, where the entire family (Paul, Joyce, Carrie, Ryan, Finn, Fyfe, Barry, and Erika) visited together as they attended the 75th anniversary of the Great Escape.

 

Paul had an incredible memory. Between his travels, and reading many books as a history buff, he could beat any trivia buff and especially enjoyed TV trivia gameshows, especially in the areas of history and geography. He often gave Jeopardy contestants a run for their money.

 

Paul loved to travel to many places and countries with Joyce (Las Vegas to see Elvis, Bobby Vinton, and Frank Sinatra with lifelong friends, Pat and Laura, and Mike and Cheryl), and the family when Carrie and Barry were young (BC, Australia, Fiji, Hawaii, England, Scotland, France, Spokane, Florida, and California). He later enjoyed further International travel and cruising the ocean and river waterways with Joyce (across the US, New York and Washington, DC, Great Falls (with Barry), Hawaii, Alaska, Memphis (visiting Elvis), the Mississippi with Joyce and Diane, across Canada, England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Croatia, Scandinavia, Netherlands, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Greece, China, Australia, New Zealand, even traveling with friends to Hungary and Austria, and traveling to commemorate Great Escape anniversaries in England (RAF) and Poland with family and friends. He definitely inspired the travel bug in us all.

 

Paul enjoyed the family reunion with the Rozwadowski clan in Fernie, and annual getaways to Fairmont with Joyce and Diane with visits from Barry and Erika, as well as ringing in many happy New Year’s with his in-laws, Diane, Olga and Harry. Paul loved to explore the locations he visited by public transit, traveling cities from one end to the other. He loved planes and airports, trains, trams, buses and the underground and metros. A recent birthday present for his 80th was a favourite, where Barry arranged for Paul to experience a 737-flight simulator.

 

Paul was very connected to his history and was an active volunteer at the Military Museums of Calgary, where he volunteered every Friday. He presented the Great Escape exhibit as part of the 80th anniversary this past March. He was a longtime volunteer as secretary of the Shriners in Banff, a 15 + year volunteer of the White Hatter (3000-hour pin holder) at the Calgary airport, and an active member of the Free-mo railroad association, especially with his great friend Greg Cave and wife Judy, building model railroads with the group.

 

Paul was proud of his unique Polish and Scottish life experience and heritage. He and Joyce adopted the ‘Blackwatch’ tartan and wore it proudly, because the Blackwatch clan monument was across the street from the house where he was born and lived at, ‘Mavis Bank’ in Aberfeldy, with the Sutherland family (James, Barbara and Millie). The Sutherlands took his mother in when she arrived in Scotland five months pregnant, with her husband in a prisoner of war camp, and after she was widowed. It was not easy for Paul in many ways; being of Polish origin, without a father, and starting his life in Scotland. At age five when he entered school, the teacher encouraged his mother to change his Polish name from birth, ‘Wieslaw’, to something simpler. They chose ‘Paul’, since Pawel was his middle name, passed down from his father’s given name. The Sutherland family continued to love and care for Paul and his mother as their own family until they left for Canada, but he never forgot his Scottish roots.

 

Paul was fiercely proud of his family, his daughter Carrie, an audiologist with a PhD and a business owner, and his son Barry, a pilot with WestJet. He was so content that each of them reached their dreams and had such supportive spouses and families. He was exceptionally proud of his grandchildren Finn (17) and Fyfe (15) and loved them beyond measure. In recent years, he celebrated their academic achievements, attended Finn’s football games, made puzzles and built landscapes with Fyfe, and always had good chats with them both; most recently about their first jobs at the Calgary Stampede, where they proudly wore their own white hats. He was so satisfied with his children’s and grandchildren’s successes and proud of the smart, kind people they are.

 

Paul was a good friend, and he enjoyed a good visit with his friends, whether celebrating birthdays (his 80th in 2022), anniversaries (celebrating his and Joyce’s 50th in 2020-outside because of Covid, both beautifully catered by Diane and family and beautifully decorated by Erika with Barry’s help), or just to have a good chat-he loved to tell his stories, which will be missed.

 

Paul was kindly cared for this past six months by the Drs. and nurses of the Cardiology function team. Their adept care and expertise allowed him to continue all his beloved pursuits, volunteer activities and family events with full strength and vigor right up until he passed.

 

Paul certainly had a life well lived. A man of few written words, he gave Carrie a card on her 50th that simply said, “50 is great”. But in the words of his granddaughter Fyfe, “81 is pretty great too”.

 

Loving husband, father, grandfather, uncle, and friend, Paul is survived by his loving family, wife Joyce of Calgary, daughter Carrie (Ryan) of Calgary, son Barry (Erika) of Airdrie, granddaughter Fyfe and grandson Finn of Calgary; sisters-in-law, Diane and Olga (Harry) of Edmonton; niece Corinna of Edmonton, Jamie Buchholz and family of Iowa City, and the Rozwadowski family of Colorado, California, and Connecticut.

 

Dear Dad, Papa Paul - you live on in each of us in a very special way; Barry - with his desire to travel the world, to wander and explore; Carrie - by her desire to persevere at what she does, and to see the ‘big picture’ of every opportunity; Finn - by his incredible knowledge base and desire to know the world, and Fyfe - by being unafraid to be creative and try new things. We love you and will miss you dearly.

 

Funeral Services will be held at Holy Cross Anglican Church (2828 – 19th Street N.W, Calgary, AB), on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. Reception to follow in the Church Hall.

 

Family and friends who are unable to attend in person are invited to join Mr. Tobolski’s service streamed live (see link below) on the day of the service. For those who are unable to view live, a recording of the service will be posted.

 

In honor of the support that the Red Cross provided to the prisoners of war in WWII, including Paul’s father, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Canadian Red Cross Society, Southern Alberta Region, 2nd Floor, 1305 – 11th Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T3C 3P6, Telephone: (403) 541-6100, www.redcross.ca

 

Condolences, memories, and photos may be shared and viewed with Paul’s family here.

 

In living memory of Paul Tobolski, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.

 

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