Property developer, municipal official.
Born on 24 February 1922, one of nine children born to William Zarecki (1886-1966) and Eva Zarecki (1893-1968), he grew up at Springwell. During the Second World War, he enlisted with the Royal Canadian Air Force and graduated from No. 2 Air Command, No. 7 Bombing and Gunnery (wireless air gunners) school at Paulson in 1944. He later attained the rank of Flying Officer.
He farmed at Lee River, near Lac du Bonnet, and became one of the largest property developers in the area, partnering with Robert Kost to establish the property for the Granite Hills Golf Course. At the age of 33, he became the youngest Mayor in the province upon his election as the Mayor of Lac du Bonnet (1958-1964), later serving as Reeve of the RM of Lac du Bonnet (1966-1974). He was a candidate for Lac du Bonnet in the 1966 provincial general election but was defeated by Oscar Bjornson. He was on the Board of Trustees for the Lac du Bonnet Health Centre during the construction of the Lac du Bonnet Personal Care Home, as well as Chairman of the Manitoba Highway Traffic Control Board, and was on the Manitoba Agricultural Credit Corporation Board of Directors.
In 1945, he married Martha Soroka and they had five chilren: Gerald Roland “Jerry” Zarecki (1955-1985), Clifford Zarecki, Adelard Zarecki, Irene Zarecki, and Thomas Zarecki, as well as several foster children. He was active member of both Lac du Bonnet’s Legion and Lions Club.
He died at Pinawa on 30 July 2010 and was buried in the Lac du Bonnet Cemetery.
“Manitoba graduates listed by Air Force,” Winnipeg Free Press, 12 December 1944, page 9.
Obituary [William Zarecki], Winnipeg Free Press, 24 August 1966, page 44.
Obituary [Eva Zarecki], Winnipeg Free Press, 10 October 1968, page 34.
Obituary [Gerald Roland Zarecki], Winnipeg Free Press, 26 January 1985, page 68.
Obituary [Mildred Smith], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 June 2001, page B6.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 4 August 2010, page C9.
This page was prepared by Nathan Kramer and Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 24 December 2017
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