Obituary for John Andrew Reviczky
John Reviczky
August 1st, 1949 - Wednesday, March 9th, 2022
John Andrew Reviczky August 1, 1949 to March 9, 2022 John left this world on his own terms and in his own time on Wednesday, March 9 to embark on a new journey in his life. John had many adventures and journeys in his life of 72 years, starting with his birth. He didn’t have a very stable life growing up as his dad liked to move around a lot. When he was 16 years old he ended up striking out on his own. He managed another year of school after he was out on his own but did not manage to graduate. Later in life he got his GED but did not consider that graduating. He worked the oil rigs for a while and then was an Iron Worker; 'before they had all this fancy safety stuff', he would say. During this time he met his buddy, Colin Shane with whom he would he would ride motorcycles and work together and have many adventures together, and who would introduce him to his first wife. He had so many stories of his adventures with Colin, and Colin would be his best man, both when he married his first wife and when he married Birgit. After he couldn’t work Iron anymore he worked as a mechanic for awhile and as a plumber and on the kill floor of the Dvorkin Meat Plant; where he met the David brothers of chuckwagon racing fame. He then drove long haul truck and when that took him away from his family too much; he started at Calgary Transit in 1978 and this was where he met his wife Birgit in 1979. He had a lot of issues with both the union and management at Calgary Transit and in spring of 1980 he left Transit to go work with Handi Bus, now known as Access Calgary. He loved his job with Handi Bus, working as a driver and then as a dispatcher. When the city took over Handi Bus there was a great upheaval at Handi Bus and like he told everyone; they gave him a years wages to get him to leave. This was a turbulent time in his personal being as he had difficulty finding work to support his family. That was most important to him; he had to be a man and support his family. It was at this time he started his career as a taxi driver. First with Associated Taxi and then Checker Taxi. John loved being a taxi driver. He had so many stories to tell his passengers of his adventures and travels and he was able to relate to all who came into his car and his passengers all seemed to understand that he was able to understand where they were coming from, He had many loyal customers and many became his friend. Many would call up and tell the call taker: would you please send the Tie Guy to pick me up. John even had business cards made up with a picture of a yellow taxi and the Loonie Tunes characters riding in it and his name as John (the Tie Guy) along with his cell number, He loved handing out these cards to all that he would meet. John had to wear a suit when he worked for Checker and he didn’t like suits at all; so to be different he would wear outstanding ties; cartoon ties, holiday theme ties, sports ties, prank ties. You name it he wore them, He was always happy to receive a new tie and many of his customers would gift him with ties that they had found for him, His wife, Birgit, would search the thrift stores for ties for him and he was always pleased as punch when she found a new tie for him. When he retired from Checker in 2016 and we counted his ties; he had over 150 different ties.
John loved his family fiercely and his children and grandchildren were the entire world for him. His first marriage was short, but blessed him with 2 children. John and Candice. He always like to tell people that best thing about his first marriage was Johnny and Candy. His marriage to Birgit would give him his younger son Josh and bless him with 2 more daughters, Megan and Rachel. This marriage to Birgit would end up being his rock that he built his life on. John liked to tell people; 'You know I didn’t love her when I married her, but she has this way growing on you, and now I don’t know what I would do if I lost her.' The words 'I love you' were very difficult for John to say, he liked to tell you that he loved you with deeds and actions It was only after Megan and Rachel were born that he started to say the words. The loss of his son Josh in 2009 hit him very hard and it seemed like his joy of life had left him. It was only when his granddaughters Ainsley and Skyla were born in 2013 that he regained the spark to live. He loved having ‘babies’ in his house and would tell everyone the same thing he said about his own children 'I’m not babysitting, I am caring for my children.' Shortly after they were born, John lost his mother due to cancer and once again he found life very difficult. When Logan, his grandson, was born in 2016 and Rachel and her family came to live him he again regained his zest for life. It was at this point in his life that he really liked to tell the people in his life that he loved them. It was a good thing that Logan liked to snuggle because John liked nothing better than to have his grandbabies on his chest as the 2 would take nap together in his chair. The last few years of his life were most difficult on him as he slowly lost his mobility and health issues were causing concern as well. John made a point of telling each person in his life that he loved them. He would make a point to be up in the morning to tell Birgit ‘You have a good day at work, I love you’ and then go back to bed as he had only gone to bed at 4 in the morning. The last month and the week he was in the hospital he reached out to his children and friends and had long conversations with them all. Telling them goodbye, though we didn’t know it at the time. During this time he had many conversations with Birgit and he worried so much about what would happen to her when he was gone. He seemed to find peace in knowing exactly what her plans were and made an extreme point of greeting her with I love you and calling her 'My Love'. He made certain that his children and grandchildren knew he loved them very much and confirmed his love for his wife many times in the last week of his life. To mourn his loss John leaves his wife, Birgit; son, Johnny [Sonya] Reviczky; daughters, Candy [Jeremy] Reviczky, Megan [Leland] Reviczky, and Rachel Reviczky; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many other family and friends.
The family invite you to join them for a Celebration of John's Life at Thorncliffe/Greenview Community Hall on Friday, March 18, 2022 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm (5600 Center Street North).
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of John please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.
August 1st, 1949 - Wednesday, March 9th, 2022
John Andrew Reviczky August 1, 1949 to March 9, 2022 John left this world on his own terms and in his own time on Wednesday, March 9 to embark on a new journey in his life. John had many adventures and journeys in his life of 72 years, starting with his birth. He didn’t have a very stable life growing up as his dad liked to move around a lot. When he was 16 years old he ended up striking out on his own. He managed another year of school after he was out on his own but did not manage to graduate. Later in life he got his GED but did not consider that graduating. He worked the oil rigs for a while and then was an Iron Worker; 'before they had all this fancy safety stuff', he would say. During this time he met his buddy, Colin Shane with whom he would he would ride motorcycles and work together and have many adventures together, and who would introduce him to his first wife. He had so many stories of his adventures with Colin, and Colin would be his best man, both when he married his first wife and when he married Birgit. After he couldn’t work Iron anymore he worked as a mechanic for awhile and as a plumber and on the kill floor of the Dvorkin Meat Plant; where he met the David brothers of chuckwagon racing fame. He then drove long haul truck and when that took him away from his family too much; he started at Calgary Transit in 1978 and this was where he met his wife Birgit in 1979. He had a lot of issues with both the union and management at Calgary Transit and in spring of 1980 he left Transit to go work with Handi Bus, now known as Access Calgary. He loved his job with Handi Bus, working as a driver and then as a dispatcher. When the city took over Handi Bus there was a great upheaval at Handi Bus and like he told everyone; they gave him a years wages to get him to leave. This was a turbulent time in his personal being as he had difficulty finding work to support his family. That was most important to him; he had to be a man and support his family. It was at this time he started his career as a taxi driver. First with Associated Taxi and then Checker Taxi. John loved being a taxi driver. He had so many stories to tell his passengers of his adventures and travels and he was able to relate to all who came into his car and his passengers all seemed to understand that he was able to understand where they were coming from, He had many loyal customers and many became his friend. Many would call up and tell the call taker: would you please send the Tie Guy to pick me up. John even had business cards made up with a picture of a yellow taxi and the Loonie Tunes characters riding in it and his name as John (the Tie Guy) along with his cell number, He loved handing out these cards to all that he would meet. John had to wear a suit when he worked for Checker and he didn’t like suits at all; so to be different he would wear outstanding ties; cartoon ties, holiday theme ties, sports ties, prank ties. You name it he wore them, He was always happy to receive a new tie and many of his customers would gift him with ties that they had found for him, His wife, Birgit, would search the thrift stores for ties for him and he was always pleased as punch when she found a new tie for him. When he retired from Checker in 2016 and we counted his ties; he had over 150 different ties.
John loved his family fiercely and his children and grandchildren were the entire world for him. His first marriage was short, but blessed him with 2 children. John and Candice. He always like to tell people that best thing about his first marriage was Johnny and Candy. His marriage to Birgit would give him his younger son Josh and bless him with 2 more daughters, Megan and Rachel. This marriage to Birgit would end up being his rock that he built his life on. John liked to tell people; 'You know I didn’t love her when I married her, but she has this way growing on you, and now I don’t know what I would do if I lost her.' The words 'I love you' were very difficult for John to say, he liked to tell you that he loved you with deeds and actions It was only after Megan and Rachel were born that he started to say the words. The loss of his son Josh in 2009 hit him very hard and it seemed like his joy of life had left him. It was only when his granddaughters Ainsley and Skyla were born in 2013 that he regained the spark to live. He loved having ‘babies’ in his house and would tell everyone the same thing he said about his own children 'I’m not babysitting, I am caring for my children.' Shortly after they were born, John lost his mother due to cancer and once again he found life very difficult. When Logan, his grandson, was born in 2016 and Rachel and her family came to live him he again regained his zest for life. It was at this point in his life that he really liked to tell the people in his life that he loved them. It was a good thing that Logan liked to snuggle because John liked nothing better than to have his grandbabies on his chest as the 2 would take nap together in his chair. The last few years of his life were most difficult on him as he slowly lost his mobility and health issues were causing concern as well. John made a point of telling each person in his life that he loved them. He would make a point to be up in the morning to tell Birgit ‘You have a good day at work, I love you’ and then go back to bed as he had only gone to bed at 4 in the morning. The last month and the week he was in the hospital he reached out to his children and friends and had long conversations with them all. Telling them goodbye, though we didn’t know it at the time. During this time he had many conversations with Birgit and he worried so much about what would happen to her when he was gone. He seemed to find peace in knowing exactly what her plans were and made an extreme point of greeting her with I love you and calling her 'My Love'. He made certain that his children and grandchildren knew he loved them very much and confirmed his love for his wife many times in the last week of his life. To mourn his loss John leaves his wife, Birgit; son, Johnny [Sonya] Reviczky; daughters, Candy [Jeremy] Reviczky, Megan [Leland] Reviczky, and Rachel Reviczky; numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many other family and friends.
The family invite you to join them for a Celebration of John's Life at Thorncliffe/Greenview Community Hall on Friday, March 18, 2022 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm (5600 Center Street North).
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of John please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.