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Walter Zylich
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Community activist.
Born at Brandon on 13 May 1918, youngest son of Alexander Zylich and Marie Bilash, second-cousin to Borislaw Nicholas Bilash, his childhood was spent at Brandon and later Virden. During the Second World War, he worked in aircraft maintenance at the No. 19 Elementary Flying Training School near Virden.
A 38-year career with the Manitoba Power Commission (later, Manitoba Hydro) began with his involvement in the rural electrification program. He was later a district supervisor at Pipestone, Vita, and Cartwright. In 1966, he was transferred to Winnipeg and was a technical specialist with DC transmission lines in northern Manitoba. His interest in flying grew when he was involved in surveying electrical towers from an airplane. He enjoyed his last years with Hydro until retirement in 1983.
Although he began his lifelong interest in aviation during the war and continued during his career, it accelerated once he retired. He was a member in the Winnipeg Flying Club and was involved in the Manitoba Aviation Council and the Western Canada Aviation Museum. In 1986, he was a founding member of the Canadian Air Search and Rescue Association (CASARA) in the Winnipeg Zone. He was primary contact with Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre (JRCC), a military/civilian organization, and he worked as CASARA's base radio operator on almost all the exercises and searches and he maintained training and volunteer records. He served as Assistant Chief Pilot, Chief Pilot, Deputy Zone Commander and Zone Treasurer.
On 10 October 1946, he married Ann Bachewich (1923-2014) and they subsequently had five children.
He died at Winnipeg on 17 September 2003 and his cremains were interred in the Chapel Lawn Memorial Gardens.
Birth registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 20 September 2003.
Obituary [Ann Zylich], Winnipeg Free Press, 4 October 2014.
We thank Beverly Campbell for providing additional information used here.
This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.
Page revised: 23 January 2024
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