Rudi Kralik
June 8, 1935 – March 13, 2021

Well, all great stories must come to a close. We never wanted this day to arrive, and it is with both sadness, also so much gratefulness, that we must announce, the passing of Rudolph Francis Kralik also known to many as … Rudi, Rudo, Rudi the Honky, Rude Dog, THE KING, but mostly, “Hey Dad” and “Grandpa”.
Rudi, quite reluctantly, after a long battle with his heart issues, ventured from this world and headed out, to the big hunting grounds in the sky.

He’s finally been granted permission and full hunting access. His Zeiss binoculars around his neck, the Steyr steady in fire position and his crosshairs aimed directly on the throat of “Ecology Jack”. That elusive monster Whitetail …that ONE that haunted his dreams …the only ONE that got away.

Rudi was born to George & Pauline Kralik in Nacmine, Alberta (Drumheller) in 1935. After suffering the tragic loss of their three infants, his parents made the journey to Canada and settled. Rudi was born in the midst of The Great Depression. They were overjoyed and he was considered a significantly special child. Two years later, his little sister, Margaret would come into the world and he adored her, always!

His mom would cook the most fantastic food from the old country. Cabbage Rolls, Poppy Seed Roll, delicious soups, chicken and halushki (dumplings). Times were not easy, but love was abundant, and he so cherished his parents. They were hard working people but always found the importance in celebrating life.

From the time he could walk, Rudi had an obsession … fixated on being outdoors. Snaring rabbits, tracking down pheasants, partridge, and other critters. He would spend hours fishing The Red Deer River.

At the age of eleven, he snuck up into the hills, while his parents were celebrating with family & friends and shot his first deer. He came home to find his “spirited” parents and uncles around the table and triumphantly revealed his accomplishment. They laughed and said “Boy, you must have had a dream!” It wasn’t until his dad looked down and saw his blood-stained boots, that they had realized, Rudi was telling the truth.

He had shot the deer and all by himself, dragged it under a bush to keep it safe from the coyotes and magpies and then hiked back down for help. So, his dad, with bottle of wine in hand, his mom, with a knife in hers, and his uncles, together hiked back up the hill, celebrating in song and praising him for the much-needed meat. He was hooked!

In his early teens, he latched on to an older fella in town (well old enough to drive, hunt and bootleg a little liquor). “Big John” (John Danchek) took Rudi under his wing and introduced him to some of the best hunting spots around. He always looked up to him and they remained friends, until John died. Pretty sure that they are now enjoying a drink and reminiscing about the old hunting stories.

His first job was picking cukes at Sully’s Cucumber farm at the young age of eleven. At fourteen, he went on to work for Henry Walters at The Burns Imperial Ranch at Byemoor, Alberta and in his later teens, he became a car operator for the mine.

Rudi grew into a young Adonis … a good-looking dark-haired guy who definitely had a wild side. He would spend countless hours cruising the streets for girls, with his pals. They were commonly known as “The Drum Gang”. They would take off on weekend trips to Calgary in his prized “1958 purple Dodge Royal”. He had owned several cars …but this car was a beauty!

It was there that Rudi, or perhaps, that shiny car, had caught the eye of a young, pretty brunette named Marg (Margaret Cameron) from Golden BC.

Rudi landed a job in Calgary at AGT (Telus) along with some of the “Drum Gang”.

So, Rudi was working for the phone company and Marg was working at the income tax office and the two were married on December 15, 1961. Soon thereafter, came their first-born son, Randy, followed by the birth of a girl, Sandra (Sandy). They bought their first home in Mayland Heights and three years later, along came Greg.

A wild bunch those kids were, and they tested him daily. For most of their entire lives, Rudi commonly referred to them as “Shape up” “Dummy up” and “Half Wit”. His most common phrase, “I’ll Back Hand You”, will be forever embedded in their memories. Ducking and diving in the back seat became a true art form.

He loved his kids fiercely. He was one of the original “hands-on fathers” helping bath, change and feed them, which was pretty much unheard of, back in those days. It is then, that he and those kids, developed the deepest bond. From the time they were out of diapers he was taking them along, on his most epic hunting and fishing adventures.

It was truly HIS obsession that instilled the love of the great outdoors into his entire clan, and it became ritual. Fish all summer - hunt all fall. Clean your guns, load, re-load, target practice, tying flies, reading Outdoor Life and Field & Stream. Nothing else really mattered. Who caught the biggest fish? … well, always Greg, … but for Rudi it didn’t matter. He was The Original Meat Eater. He liked hunting everything; Whitetail, Mule Deer Bull or Cow Elk, Big Horn Sheep, Bear, Ring Necked Pheasants, Hungarian Partridge, Prairie Chicken, Coyotes. BUT his weakness … oh his weakness … The Canada Goose. He loved bird hunting! He’d walk us five miles to a blind to shoot even just one Canada and a few bonus Green Heads. Our little legs felt like rubber, but we loved every minute of it, laying out in that blind, listening to the honking and waiting. It was pure joy and solace.

And while we fished and hunted, Marg learned her greatest life skills; cooking amazing meals, having the cleanest house in town, taking great pride in her Eletro-lux vacuum, becoming a superb shopper, just so she could outfit herself and kids to the nines. Hey, to each their own and although very baffling to them, Marg was “just not that into hunting”. She laughingly admitted this to them all the time, but it was too late… they were addicted.

Marg would plan for the get togethers and Rudi loved to entertain too. Their parties were epic. The friends they made, were friends for life and many remain a constant to this day. Some have gone on ahead and we just know that Rudi is up there having the best Bull Shit sessions with them. For the ones that remain, our family is forever grateful for those friendships and for supporting us through these hard times, with the visits, phone calls and many well wishes.

Rudi continued to work at AGT (Telus). Rudi was “The Phone Guy”. Not JUST the AGT phone guy, because without fail, no lie, Rudi called his kids & grandkids, every single day, no matter what. Sometimes two, maybe three or even five times a day! It was the ongoing joke by all. He didn’t care. He just wanted to be with them and to hear their voices, always.

After 27 years at AGT (Telus) Rudi took an early retirement, to help Greg through a most difficult time in his recovery from his car accident in 1988. Shortly thereafter, Rudi’s dream of Guiding & Outfitting came to fruition and he started Misty Waters Outfitting.

As far as who Rudi was as a person, he always took the time to understand the importance of “take a child and introduce them to the great outdoors. The countless neighborhood friends and ALL of the friends that were made along the way, from childhood to teen years, were so fortunate to experience all that Rudi was about. Tote Goats, dune buggies, snowmobiles, quads, horse-pack trips into the mountains to hunt and fish … Rudi, just doing what he loved! It was his belief that if you could take a child outdoors to hunt and fish, you would truly change their lives’. We are all so grateful for this philosophy. It built lasting friendships for us and our friends still talk about the impact he made on them and the fun they had. More importantly he passed these philosophies on to his children and grandchildren.

BUT … what Rudi really excelled at, was being ‘THE BEST’ grandpa a child could ask for. His fierce protection of his own children couldn’t hold a candle to the love that he felt towards these little humans. He spent countless hours fishing, hunting, saddling horses, camping, air-boating on the river and whatever else they wanted to do. His purpose was truly to make them happy and in turn, they made him the happiest man alive! He loved these” little guys” with all his heart and soul and was so proud of the people they have become.

Rudi was predeceased by his three infant brothers; his father, George; his mother, Pauline; his favorite sister-in-law, Ann Weaver “That Damn Yankee” of Illinois and many of his good friends.

Rudi leaves behind, his beautiful wife, Marg, of 59 years. They always loved each other through thick and thin, even when they joked about their “love-hate” relationship … but it was love and it was real and it was fun … mostly. They stuck together during the difficult times and their love was definitely put to the test on many occasions, particularly when Greg had his car accident. They persevered and they taught us about commitment and the importance of family.

He also leaves his sister, Margaret Cook and all of his nieces and nephews and his very special brother-in-law, Don Cameron and cousin and lifelong friend, Lou (Carol) Kralik.

The people that will miss him the most and his hunting partners for life, his son, Randy (Karen); his daughter, Sandra (Tom); his son, Greg (Janice) she’s an ex but she is darn sure family. His five beloved ‘do no wrong’, simply amazing and wonderful grandchildren, Kelly (Chris), Brad (Kelsey), Dayle-Marie, Darry and Chase; his two great grandchildren; his special pal, Jamie and sweet, sweet smilin’ Gracie, and his honorary grandson, Tanner.

The family has made a decision to not hold a Memorial Service at this time, but we will plan a celebration of Rudi’s life at a later date. We are looking forward to hunting season, when we will honor Rudi by bringing him along with us and scatter his ashes in the so many places, we hunted with him. In honour of Rudi’s long and fulfilling life, we would ask you that you a raise a lukewarm bottle of Pilsner and toast this incredible man that we called husband, dad, grandpa and friend. We love you. Until we meet again.

Go Rest High up on Mist Mountain!

To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Rudi, please visit www.choicememorial.com.