We regret to advise of the death of Master Warrant Officer Michael “Mike” Gurgurewicz, CD (Ret’d) at his home in Shannon, QC on 18 November 2004 after a short illness.
Mike was born in 1927 in Ste. Sophie (Terrebonne), QC. In June 1949 he enlisted in the Canadian Army at 4 Personnel Depot in Montreal, QC and was assigned to the Royal Canadian Engineers. He trained at the Royal Canadian School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack, BC and on completion of training in October 1950 was assigned to 17 Works Company in Whitehorse, YT. In 1953 he was assigned to 58th Independent Field Squadron and posted to Werl, West Germany. A year later he was posted to 3 Field Squadron in Chilliwack and from there deployed to Korea from March to December 1954, returning to 3 Field Squadron on completion of his Korean posting.
In 1958 Mike was posted to the Canadian Base Unit Middle East in Egypt as part of the United Nations force. He returned to Canada in October 1959 with a posting to Eastern Quebec “Instructor” Staff in Quebec City, QC. In 1963 he was posted to Gagetown, NB to the Experimental Brigade Service Battalion for two years. This was followed by a posting to 1 Field Squadron in Petawawa, ON in 1965 and back to the Eastern Quebec “Instructional” Staff in Quebec City in 1967. A year later he was posted to the Canadian Forces School of Military Engineering in Chilliwack.
In September 1971 he was posted to Base Valcartier, QC to 5e Escadron du Génie du Canada and stayed there until posted in 1975, on promotion to Master Warrant Officer, to 3rd Field Engineer Regiment Montreal as a member of the Regular Force Support Staff. In 1976 he returned to Valcartier to 5 Régiment du Génie de Combat as the Squadron Sergeant Major of 55 Support Squadron and remained there until his retirement in 1980. Mike then joined the Reserves, and served with 10e Escadron de Génie in Quebec City as an instructor, all the while working for the Base Valcartier Construction Engineering Section in the Roads and Grounds section from 1982 until his final retirement in 1988.
Visitations will be held at the ComplexeFunéraire due Parc Commemoratif La Souvenance, 301 rang Ste-Anne, Quartier Laurentien, Ste-Foy, QC on 22 November followed by the funeral service. Mike has been cremated and his ashes will be buried at the Complexe Funéraire du Parc Commemoratif La Souvenance. Donations may be made to Maison Michel Sarrazin, 2101 chemin St-Louis, Sillery, QC. {gdJan2016kh}
