Obituary for Michael Miroslav Zbytovsky
Michael was born on April 23, 1947 in Brno, Czechoslovakia. He married Margit in 1967 and welcomed their daughter Romana on Michael’s birthday in 1968. They bravely escaped the country during The Prague Spring when the Soviet Union invaded to suppress political liberation, Romana was just nine months old. Arriving in Edmonton, Alberta in January 1969, the family welcomed their son Daniel that September.
A coal miner in Europe, Michael worked for the city of Edmonton until becoming a skilled tradesman as a carpet installer. Falling in love with the mountains on a trip to BC in 1970, Michael and Margit moved to Kelowna briefly before settling on an acreage in Maple Ridge in 1986, where they lived until he passed.
Michael had many interests including hunting, fishing, camping, scuba diving, mushroom picking, swimming, riding motorcycles, animals, flying, exploring, spirituality, pyramids, natural healing and more, but his favorite was travelling. He spent his glory days exploring some of the most remote locations in Western Canada by float plane with his best friend Alan who tragically passed away at 56. When not roughing it in the bush,
Michael also liked to relax in the sun at Waikiki Beach, flying to Hawaii a total of 15 times since 1983 along with taking his family for a two-week vacation each summer to the Okanagan in their 70’s Dodge Tradesman camper van. He was also a very talented guitar player, building a stage in the basement of their home in Edmonton for family concerts, a love he passed onto his son Daniel who is a professional musician today. Michael spent the latter part of his life continuing his love of swimming, attending the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre twice a week to swim laps, attend a water aerobics class and chat with friends until COVID-19 hit. In
Michael’s 74 years of life, he lived every moment to the fullest, and that is evident in his many adventures and stories. He passed on May 2, 2021. He will be remembered by his feisty personality, brave sense of adventure and generous heart. As his daughter Romana says, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. Michael is survived by his loving family who will miss him very much, wife Margit (married 54 years), daughter Romana, son Daniel, son-in-law Rod, granddaughter Kelsey, grandson-in-law John and great-granddaughter Carmen. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wildlife Preservation Canada.
Celebration of life will not take place due to COVID-19 restrictions.
A coal miner in Europe, Michael worked for the city of Edmonton until becoming a skilled tradesman as a carpet installer. Falling in love with the mountains on a trip to BC in 1970, Michael and Margit moved to Kelowna briefly before settling on an acreage in Maple Ridge in 1986, where they lived until he passed.
Michael had many interests including hunting, fishing, camping, scuba diving, mushroom picking, swimming, riding motorcycles, animals, flying, exploring, spirituality, pyramids, natural healing and more, but his favorite was travelling. He spent his glory days exploring some of the most remote locations in Western Canada by float plane with his best friend Alan who tragically passed away at 56. When not roughing it in the bush,
Michael also liked to relax in the sun at Waikiki Beach, flying to Hawaii a total of 15 times since 1983 along with taking his family for a two-week vacation each summer to the Okanagan in their 70’s Dodge Tradesman camper van. He was also a very talented guitar player, building a stage in the basement of their home in Edmonton for family concerts, a love he passed onto his son Daniel who is a professional musician today. Michael spent the latter part of his life continuing his love of swimming, attending the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre twice a week to swim laps, attend a water aerobics class and chat with friends until COVID-19 hit. In
Michael’s 74 years of life, he lived every moment to the fullest, and that is evident in his many adventures and stories. He passed on May 2, 2021. He will be remembered by his feisty personality, brave sense of adventure and generous heart. As his daughter Romana says, it’s not goodbye, it’s see you later. Michael is survived by his loving family who will miss him very much, wife Margit (married 54 years), daughter Romana, son Daniel, son-in-law Rod, granddaughter Kelsey, grandson-in-law John and great-granddaughter Carmen. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Wildlife Preservation Canada.
Celebration of life will not take place due to COVID-19 restrictions.