Obituary of George Phillip Gish

George Phillip Gish 1919 – 2019 100 years + 9 months of living on this planet Phil was born in Lang SK, son of George and Ethel (nee Perry) Gieg, the eldest of 10 children. Following the style of many of his relatives living south of the border he changed his last name to the anglicized version of Gish. He moved to Yellow Grass as a young man in 1949, where he played hockey with the Wheat Kings and married Eileen Weber. In later life he lived with his second wife Marlene Dreger variously in Regina, Katepwa Lake, Indian Head and Fort Qu’Appelle. During World War II Phil trained as an infantryman in Regina, then as flight crew in Edmonton. Post-war he worked for the RCAF during the de-commissioning of the Weyburn Airport flight training center. With the opening of Western Wire & Cable (later known as Canada Wire & Cable) in Weyburn he was the first man hired to start its operations as Manager of Mechanical & Electrical Maintenance. With his innate mechanical genius he planned and supervised the transformation of disparate industrial machines discarded by other companies into efficient production lines for power transmission wire and telephone cable. He was a magician with a mechanical lathe. He held the responsibility for maintaining industrial production systems for the same company for 30 years. Always a farmer, Phil farmed throughout his life in the Yellow Grass and Lang area. In the 40’s and again in the 70’s he operated a custom combining outfit, working from Texas to northern Saskatchewan. During the 60’s and 70’s he operated a custom crop spraying business, in the beginning as the pilot of his own airplane. Later he switched to a propeller-driven “Rocket” ground sprayer. Never afraid of developing technology, he was one of the first to introduce to Saskatchewan the use of the then new Spray Coupe. Phil was predeceased by his parents and 5 siblings Grant Gieg (Tennessee), Ruth Evans (BC), Grace Eckes (AB), Tom Gieg (BC) and Floyd Gieg (AB). He is survived by 4 siblings Edna Eckes (Calgary AB), Blake Gieg (North Bay ON), Jack Gieg (Collingwood ON) and Janet Juniper (Meaford ON). His surviving step-children are Dallas Dreger (Lang) and Bob Poulson (Regina). His surviving children are Garth Gish (White City), Darryl Gish (Fort Qu’Appelle) and Tara Gish (Moose Jaw). Grandchildren (and great-grandchildren) are Sarah Gish (Valentino Introini, Massimo Introini), Noah Gish and Breah Gish. In honor of Phil’s wishes there will be no memorial service. Fly in wonderment in your new world Dad. FLOWERS WILL BE GRATEFULLY DECLINED, DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO THE SALVATION ARMY OR LEGION OF YOUR CHOICE.