Obituary of Ervin G Stoch

<b>Lexington, Kentucky</b> Our dad and grandpa, Ervin George Stoch, passed away on Thanksgiving morning, November 27, 2014, in <b>Lexington, Kentucky</b>, at age 91. He was a well-read, intelligent man who was extremely proud of his Polish heritage. He lived his childhood and young adulthood in Milwaukee, WI--a city he spoke of fondly. He served in the U.S. Army and was honorably discharged on November 1, 1948. He was a graduate of Oshkosh (WI) State Teachers College. A career opportunity brought him to Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota, where he was employed for over 30 years in the mining industry as a metallurgical engineer. As a member of the American Welding Society for 61 years, Ervin served as chairman of the charter committee for the AWS Arrowhead Section in 1968, and was honored with the Distinguished Member Award in 2009 and Arrowhead Section Meritorious Award in 2007. His passion and excellence in the field of welding engineering is reflected in the legacy he left with other welding professionals who worked with him and their acknowledgement of the vast improvements in mining equipment maintenance and repair resulting from his knowledge, skills, and expertise. His 55 years in Minnesota inspired a love of the outdoors. In addition to being a serious fisherman, he took in the beauty of the area through innumerable camping, portaging, hiking, cross-country skiing, and snow-shoeing trips to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. He was a stealth blueberry picker and never divulged his secret spots. He was an avid reader, loved classical music, thoroughly enjoyed playing chess and solving difficult crossword puzzles, and made incredibly good pies (notably the good crusts). Many an hour was spent in his basement workroom where he fashioned woodwork pieces. Travels included trips to Poland, Antarctica, Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Chile, Hawaii, Mexico, Tasmania, and five memorable family Winnebago trips across the United States with his kids. Ervin is survived by his four children: Jeffrey (Mahala) of Port Ludlow, Washington; Monica (Rod) of <b>Lexington, Kentucky</b>; Gregory (Jocelyn) of Raleigh, North Carolina; and Catherine (Charles) of Little Falls, Minnesota; three grandsons: Matthew of Mesa, Arizona; Mark (Kelly) of Brockport, New York; and Tristan of Port Ludlow, Washington; and two great-granddaughters, Vivian and Laila. His special friend, Lois Knutson, of Aurora, Minnesota, also survives him, and while distance separated them, he cared deeply for her and her family. He was predeceased by his parents, Sebastian and Katherine, four brothers, Stanley, Raymond, Walter and Joseph, several dear friends and his beloved cat, Beebs. Ervin was philosophical about life and death, tenacious in his pursuits, strongly opinionated, passionate about education, and more than just slightly impish. His legacy is best remembered by his love and commitment to his children, whom he called his proudest achievements. <b>Funeral Information</b> A celebration of Ervin's life will be held on Saturday, December 6, 2014, from 2:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the Clark Legacy Center in Nicholasville, KY. Burial at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery in Little Falls, MN, will be held at a future date.