Obituary of Dean Edward Barnych

Dean Edward Barnych  passed away, at the age of 54, on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at his residence in Richer, Manitoba.

He is lovingly remembered by his life partner Sophie and her children Garrett (Alyssa) and Calvin as well as by his daughter Robyn (Thomas).

When Dean was young, he would spend his time in his parent’s driveway working on his BMX, working on cars and working with his hands in general. He always loved animals, especially Poopsie (his first dog) and Morris (his first cat). Dean attended Faraday Elementary School, and St. John’s High School. He worked in construction, heavy machinery, snow removal, fabrication, long haul trucking, and maintenance. 

Dean met Danica when she was approximately 15 (Dean was 17) at St. John’s High School, and married when she turned 18.  They had rented a townhouse on Chamberlain for a short while.  Dean and Danica lived in a very small house on College Ave. for a few years until Robyn was on the way. They moved into a larger house on Cathedral Ave. where he did many renovations; including additions to the house, improved the layout, installed all the cabinets, which included  the most beautiful red stained glass doors, which he and Danica created. He also laid the foundation and built his deck and garage (with the help of friends).

He started working with his father in the same quarry using heavy equipment (Wakshinsky Brothers) in Stonewall. In the 1990s he worked at IBM in the Inkster industrial area. In the early 2000s Dean proudly ran his own metal CNC business with Danica and his brother Dale on Spruce St., which they named Barnburner Enterprise. In the mid 2000s Dean drove for Eastman Feeds/Reimer Express. In the 2010s he worked at Buhler fabricating tractor parts. In 2019, Dean and Sophie were driving past Hadashville where Dean's truck broke down in front of Berger, where he soon after applied and worked maintenance for five years.

Dean always wanted to make his mark and was a natural born leader. Every hobby, skill and interest he had could have turned into a business: whether it be as a welder, running an autobody shop, engine repairs, operating a sawmill, woodworking, building structures, metal detecting, or even gold panning.

In 2009 Dean lost Danica to cancer. He didn't leave her side throughout her battle, and continued to raise their daughter with loving support. In 2010 Dean met Sophie and her two sons. Robyn quickly accepted Sophie as her dad's partner, and Dean immediately accepted the two boys as his own, passing on all of his talents and knowledge. 

Dean and Sophie moved into their home in Richer, MB, in 2011, and soon after began hosting every holiday meal. On Christmas Day of 2021 Dean formally proposed to Sophie in their home while in the company of their growing family.

He loved fishing, boating, motorcycles and trucks, muscle cars, golfing, and bowling. He enjoyed hunting with rifles, muzzleloaders, and his compound bow, and he did yearly hunting trips (days away hunting) with Uncle Danny and friend Maxi. He also went on day hunts with Robyn, Thomas and Garrett which was one of his most memorable hunts.

Dean always preferred movie sagas to television programs, favourites including James Bond, Star Wars, The Terminator, and Bourne Supremacy. He was blown away by the CGI of Avatar and was really looking forward to the sequel. He was interested in Sci Fi, aliens and space. He wanted to go to Mars with Sophie. He also had a healthy distrust of government and authority figures, very much so knew his rights and it was important to him that his family did too.

Dean liked colorful flowering plants such as bromeliads and kalanchoes and always gave the most beautiful roses to his special woman. He appreciated nature, just not spiders or coyotes. He loved wildlife (even had respect for skunks).  Dean would do his best not to disturb bird nests. He loved all animals, especially cats, would hold them like babies and always spoil his pets with people food. 

He also really enjoyed visiting his family farm near Meleb. He loved living in the country and always wanted to live on a larger property with more privacy and space; Dean enjoyed the peace and quiet away from the city. 

The funeral service for Dean will take place on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at Birchwood Funeral Chapel, Steinbach, MB, with viewing one hour prior to the service. Cremation will take place after the funeral service.