Aurel Buta

Aurel Buta, 94, passed away peacefully on July 19th, 2021. He spent his final few weeks of life surrounded by family and supportive care at the Roozen Family Hospice Centre in Edmonton.

Aurel was predeceased by his daughter, Terrie Teare, and his wife of 62 years, Betty. The thought of being reunited with his beloved daughter and wife brought him comfort in his final days. He is survived by his son Dwayne (Samarra), granddaughter Jania (Jon) Teare, grandson Travis (Amanda) Teare, son-in-law Tony (Jennifer) Teare, great grandsons Callum and Dylan Craddock, special “granddaughter” Shauna, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Aurel arrived in Canada from Hungary in 1933. His first home was in Windsor Ontario. The family moved around a lot in the early years and ended up farming just outside Barnwell, Alberta. Aurel was a good baseball player (pitcher) and was involved in baseball for most of his youth. He met the love of his life, Betty, in Taber. They were married in 1947 and lived together on the family farm. After their daughter Terrie was born, Aurel and Betty bought a farm of their own on the outskirts of Cardston. Soon after moving, their son Dwayne was born. Aurel drove long distance trucks in the off-season, driving mostly down east to pick up cars. He continued to play ball in his free time and took great pleasure in the camaraderie of his ball team. In the mid 50s the family moved to Lethbridge where he worked at a bakery as a bread slicer. During that time, he continued to drive trucks and eventually took a position with Greyhound as a bus driver. The family moved into their house on 45th Street in Calgary in 1960.

Aurel retired from Greyhound in 1986, and retirement gave Aurel and Betty the opportunity to share in many wonderful experiences together, including fishing trips and travels with their friends. Aurel loved his retirement years and he and Betty saw a lot of the world together. After Betty died in 2009, Aurel became an avid reader, and completed 1179 books from November 2009 until May 2021 (about 9 books per month!)

Aurel made many friends in various circles throughout his life. He was a very kind and social man, and is remembered by many as a storyteller with an excellent sense of humour. In his final weeks of life, he shared many stories and reflections on his 94 years. He spoke about the adventures that he and Betty shared in their many years together, and about his love for his children and grandchildren. He told stories about the fun and friendships from his baseball days in his youth, about his time with Greyhound, and about all of the valuable friendships that he made throughout his driving career. He talked about the community of friends that he and Betty became a part of during their regular summer camping trips to Lake Koocanusa in BC, and about the wonderful neighbours whose company and companionship he valued over his six decades of living in his home in Calgary. In his final years, Aurel found great joy in time spent with his grandchildren, Jania and Travis, and more recently, his great grandsons, Callum and Dylan.

At Aurel’s request there will not be a memorial service. In the final weeks of his life, he received exceptional care from the staff at the Roozen Family Hospice Centre in Edmonton. It was an immense gift to his family to see him treated with such dignity, respect and kindness in his time there. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Pilgrim’s Hospice Society in Aurel’s name.

Aurel had an incredible heart and he will be missed by all who were lucky enough to know him.