Steve Mirka passed away peacefully at the Foyer St. Joseph Nursing Home in Ponteix, SK on March 28, 2016 at the age of 96 years. Steve is survived by his daughter Diane and son Roger (Christine) and numerous nieces and nephews. He is predeceased by his parents Peter and Elena, his five brothers (Andrew, John, Harry, Mike and Bill) five sisters (Olga, Anne, Sally, Pearl and Lena), first wife Albertine and 2nd wife Theresa. Steve was born in 1919 in Stenen, SK where the family farmed, they later moved to farm near Lady Lake, SK. Steve's parents took him out of school at age 14 and gave him a horse to start skidding logs with his brother Andrew. After a few years he moved to Kelvington,SK and Storthoaks, SK to work as a farm hand. He left farming in 1940 and worked in a variety of jobs including construction of a flying school in Winnipeg for the air force, the Alaska Highway for 7 months in 1942, power house of a munitions factory in Transcona, MB, coal-mining near Bellevue, AB, saw mill in Elk Valley, pulp mill in Lake Nipigon, ON, then back to farming near Winnipeg. He then worked in a lumber yard in Winnipeg, was a partner in a car wash, then became a 3rd class steam engineer while working at a hydro plant, then the boiler room at the Marlboro Hotel in Winnipeg. Around 1952 he was employed at the Winnipeg TB hospital where he earned his 2nd class engineering ticket and met Albertine whom he married in 1954. Steve's next job was at a refrigeration plant in a dairy and then he started his final steam engineering position at Building Products in Winnipeg in 1956. He later moved the family to Kelowna, BC in 1969 when he was totally fed up with the Winnipeg winters. After working in the Sun Rype juice factory for a short while, Steve went on to work for several years as foreman in the Homco Mobile Home factory. Steve always loved woodwork so after Homco closed down, he worked for a few years at a cabinet manufacturer then a coffin manufacturer. He often joked that he could get a good discount there but a few years after that job ended, he made a choice for cremation (possibly because the discount was no longer available!). Steve's last employment was as manager in a lake-side hotel in Osoyoos, BC. He then lived for a few years in Penticton, BC before returning to Kelowna, BC which he always referred to as "my town". Steve always had an active social life, especially in Kelowna where, besides coaching Little League baseball and Old-Timers softball, he was an active bowler, pool player and lawn bowler, winning many trophies in all of his sports. Steve's greatest regret was losing his sight in his 70's from macular degeneration, but even as "an old blind man" he had a higher bowling average than his son. He continued to play pool, 5-pin bowling, and shuffleboard, and even ride his bike around Kelowna in the early hours for many years while he still had limited vision. Steve also enjoyed staying in touch with his nieces and nephews and was often on the phone with them. After turning age 90, Steve moved to Swift Current, SK to live by his son, then at age 94 into the Foyer St. Joseph Nursing Home near his daughter in Ponteix, SK. Steve was well known for his phenomenal memory, and will be missed and remembered as a fun-loving man always ready with a new joke or a funny story, a good friend always ready to lend a hand, a hard-working employee, loyal spouse, and loving father. Our special thanks to the Foyer St. Joseph for their loving care. Memorial donations may be made to CNIB, or Foyer St. Joseph Nursing Home, PO Box 650, Ponteix, SK, S0N 1Z0. Lemieux Funeral Home in care of arrangements. For further information please call 306-625-3925 or visit our website at www.lemieuxfuneralhome.com and express your sympathy to the family in our book of condolence.