Theodore Stanley, (Ted) Wolnairski, was born in Clairmont, Alberta on May 17, 1929 and passed away peacefully on January 24, 2026 in Thunder Bay.

In 1953, Ted married the love of his life, Virginia (nee Mazurkewich) and together, they would have celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary in August. 

Ted was a proud father of Caroline, (Kim Hutch), Greg, (Dawn Leavitt), Catherine, (Michael Drew) and Mark. He cherished his six grandchildren (Grahame and Michael Wolnairski, Jarred Hutch, Stephen Wolnairski, Nicole Mueller (nee Wolnairski) Grayden Drew, and recently celebrated becoming a great-grandfather to Finnegan Hutch.

Ted was a man of many talents and as a craftsman, he created beautiful pieces of furniture as well as his home on Surprise Lake where family and friends gathered frequently. He had a knack for repairing everything from small appliances to motorized vehicles and as such, loved working with his hands.  He cherished the years he lived at the lake and savoured good scotch and fine red wine. He had many passions, including his beloved Blue Jays, the Edmonton Eskimos, the Packers, hunting and fishing.

Dad loved watching his sons play sports and he completed the 10 mile road race. He was an avid reader, loved history and watching the History Channel.  He had a soft spot for animals except when they took over his beautifully  manicured lawn.

Ted and Virginia travelled the world together embracing new culture and cuisine wherever they went.

In 1957, Ted proudly became a member of the Fort William Fire department.  In 1989, he retired after 38 years of service. Prior to this, he was a wheelman on a “laker” navigating the beautiful Great Lakes.

He is predeceased by his parents, sisters and his brother.

A celebration of life will be held later in the spring. The family gratefully requests that expressions of condolence be directed to the Thunder Bay Professional Firefighters Toys for Tots.  On-line condolences may be expressed at www.sargentandson.com.