Obituary of Ernest Donald Torok

Ernest Donald Torok "Don" December 13, 1945 - April 8, 2015 Don was born and grew up in Swift Current, SK, where he spent many happy hours at and near Elmwood Park swimming hole where his love of all water sports started. During high school and his University of Regina years he extended his love of swimming through the Red Cross program to become a swim instructor, examiner and examiner of instructors. Later, after earning his teaching degree Don taught at Stewart Valley School for a year before his love of watersports took him to Fort Lauderdale to take his certification in deep sea diving, and becoming a certified scuba instructor. Always up for a challenge and interested in learning, Don was then introduced to the world of floor coverings through his lifetime friend Dennis Eckdahl. This led to his ownership of Tilecraft Marble & Tile in Edmonton where he grew his company to become one of the largest contract flooring suppliers in the city during the construction boom in the 1970's. Finding the economy of the early 1980's unfavorable Don and Barb then moved to the farm at Elk Point where they ran honey bees and hay land and made many life time friends. During this time Don was very active in the Elk Point Surface Rights Association, The Alberta Honey Producers Association, Canadian Honey Council, was Chairman of the Tri-Country HoneyBee Committee, was active in Rural Crime Watch and other community service groups. Don used his talent for marketing during the start-up and operation of a remanufactured engine marketing business between 1988 and 1992 when he and Barb ran TTuff Engine Distributors in Edmonton and Calgary with a smaller depot at Swift Current. Running this concurrent with an 1800 hive honeybee operation certainly tested his management expertise and as usual he was successful at both enterprises. Following dispersal of the honey operation in 1993, Don and Barb retired for a short time then moved to Wainwright, AB where they bought and ran the Springs Motor Inn, started a computer store, then purchased a motel at Vermilion, AB. Don became part owner in a water jet cutting business in Edmonton as a result of financially assisting in the start-up with a young man who had worked for him at the honey farm. Don's community activities in Wainwright led to his becoming President of the Wainwright Chamber of Commerce during a reorganization year when his extensive organizational skills were fully put to the test. Don's 2003 heart attack and surgery changed his path again and he and Barb moved to the Creston Valley to indulge Don's love of gardening. He was completely in his element in Creston, constantly improving and enlarging the yard, his garden and orchard and doing woodworking in the off season. Through friends from the motor inn days Don and Barb supplied the start-up funding and organizational base for what became a fairly large venture capital enterprise, eventually including over 50 partners, aimed at development of a resort village in South Korea. Through a variety of political and economic changes between 2002 through 2010 this venture was not completed by the original Canadian company but the village has since been built using the groundwork and corporate structure that was created by the Canadian group. Don and Barb spent five great winters in Texas and made many new friends there as well. At the time of his passing Don was preparing to downsize to a smaller acreage and a new gardening challenge nearer to his much loved great-niece Hunter at Estevan, SK. Don loved to laugh, the challenge of a new venture, sharing his knowledge with the many young people he mentored and encouraged through the years, loved his garden and orchard, totally enjoyed a good game of cards, an 1873 and coke, thrived on meeting new people and always cherished those he knew the longest. He had a huge personality, lived life to the fullest and with his constant attention to detail never stopped planning for the future. He leaves a great vacancy and will be much missed by those left behind but somewhere else, the cards and the jokes are flying and his laugh is echoing through heaven. Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service. Condolences for the family can be offered at: www.mcphersonfh.com