CHOMA, Mike
February 6, 1931 - December 16, 2020
Mike Choma was born on February 6, 1931 in Sarrail, AB. He was one of seven children.
Mike attended school in Frains and Boyle. He loved playing softball and was an excellent pitcher.
When Mike was 18 he enlisted and took his paratrooper training in Shilo, MB where he earned his wings. He wore them proudly and daily. His greatest memory was when he “leg wrestled” 3500 fellow soldiers to win #1 overall. He passed this super talent on to his daughter.
After leaving the military he returned to Boyle where he bought himself a truck and some farmland. He finally asked Joan to marry him – he had known her since she was 7 – and they married on December 4, 1959. They celebrated their 61st anniversary this month.
Mike and Joan travelled most of northern Alberta in that truck and trailer, paving almost every highway north of Edmonton and graveling the first highway out of Ft. Mac with Gerald Tanski.
Mike and Joan moved to Edmonton in March 1972. Mike started trucking with Wells Construction and retired #2 truck in 1993 after 40 years of trucking accident free. Mike could fix almost anything if it had a carb. He spent many hours in the garage with Danny getting something running.
He then turned to his favourite hobby – snooker. Mike was an excellent snooker player and hoodwinked many a fool who soon lost their money to him. Shuffleboard was another place you could end up broke. One winter he won enough, $2.00 at a time, to take the family to Mexico for a month... 1969 in a station wagon and 8’ trailer.
He had a love of dancing and country music and sang his heart out in Yuma, AZ over 34 winters. His 50th birthday was with Kris and 7 of her friends dancing until the wee hours. Lost 10 pounds that night!
Mike and Joan travelled extensively to Mexico and Alaska and all the warm spots in between. In the last few years they got to cruise Europe and see Ireland, although he could not find a “buddy burger” in Ireland, which bothered him greatly.
Left to remember and celebrate him with laughter and tears are his wife Joan, son Danny (Theressa) and daughter Kris (Garry). His favourite granddaughter Devon, grandsons Kelly, Devlyn and Dyson, great-grandchildren Arianna and Odin. Brother Bill (Gwen) and TOK Heather (Russ).
Our family asks that donations be made to a Veterans charity or a dog rescue rather than sending flowers. We will be planting a tree in the spring to celebrate him.
Our dad loved to tell jokes but would mess them up terribly, much to our delight. He found one that he could tell and not get wrong. Dad – Andy was waiting and he had a shot of brandy for you.
…..and Mom says the soup was not spoiled.