Gregory Lee Pistulka

Gregory Lee Pistulka was born on January 18, 1957, in St. Paul, MN and passed away of pancreatic cancer on June 12, 2022, also in St. Paul. His parents, Herb and Lydia Pistulka, were married here at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church; Wayne, Greg and Cheri were all baptized here; and Herb and Lydia’s funerals were also held here. And so it is significant that we are gathered here today to remember Greg.

Greg was on the quiet side. He had a good nature and a pleasant manner. He also had his mischievous moments. His mom would say, “When he’s too quiet, he’s probably up to something. He’s a sneaky one.”

Greg received a parochial education. He went to St. Pascal’s Elementary School in St. Paul for grades 1-8 and then attended Hill-Murray Catholic High School in Maplewood, graduating in 1975. Besides their more challenging academic classes, he and his buddies took a Home Economics class because they thought it would be an easy credit and would also give them a chance to be around the ladies. He liked the blondes. Greg was a planner who had many dreams for his future. He attended St. Paul Vocational School for welding, but schizophrenia was starting to get the best of him by then, and he barely completed the course. By his early 20’s he was under supervised care in a group home setting.

Most of Greg’s happy times were during his younger years. For a couple weeks each summer, Wayne, Greg and Cheri would spend time in Beroun, staying with their Grandma Pulkrabek and Uncle Ronnie. There were rules: “Tell us where you’re going and be back before the street lights come on.” They would hang out with their many cousins around town, and it seemed that there was always something fun and interesting to do. Wayne and Greg would go along with the guys to bale hay, and everyone would go out and roll the bales when needed so that all the hay would dry.

There was time for play after the cousins’ chores were done: riding the cows, having cow pie fights, catching bullfrogs, whatever their young minds and imaginations came up with. The adults didn’t always approve of everything – such as using an animal’s water trough for cleaning up after a cow pie fight – and they got chewed out for doing that. But it was summer, and tomorrow would bring a new adventure. Not far from town there was a swimming hole called Green Valley. Most of the kids learned to swim there. It had a rope tied to a big tree branch, and it was a lot of fun swinging from the rope and then splashing into the water. At the end of busy days, there was one more job to do: checking for wood ticks and picking them off one another. Those were the times of ashtrays and matches, so any ticks that weren’t discovered until later in the house generally met their end by being burned in an ashtray.

During many summers, the Pistulka family would take a 2-week vacation, driving to various places in the US and Canada. Greg’s dad loved to fish any time of the year, whether on the water or through the ice, and Greg learned to love it too. Mille Lacs Lake was a favorite fishing destination. When he became old enough, he was also included in the annual deer hunting trips. Being outdoors was great!

Out of all God’s creatures, Greg loved birds the most. During his years at the group home, he attended workshops on how to make bird houses, and he got very good at it. He made many different styles and hung feeders wherever he could. He was proud of a job that he could do well. And so now, as we remember Greg today, the words of the poem on his memorial folder seem so appropriate: “After the Clouds, the Sunshine, After the Winter, the Spring, After the Shower, the Rainbow, For life is a changeable thing; After the Night, the Morning, Bidding all darkness to cease, After life’s cares and Troubles, The Comfort and Sweetness of Peace.” Peace be to the memory of Gregory Lee Pistulka.

Greg is survived by his brother Wayne Pistulka of Woodbury; sister Cheryl Pistulka of Eagan; cousins, many other relatives and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents Herbert and Lydia Pistulka.

Deacon Mark Pulkrabek will officiate at funeral services for Greg: 11 AM; Friday, June 17th at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Beroun.  A time of visitation and reviewal will be held at the church one hour prior to the service.  The interment will take place in Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Beroun. 

Funeral arrangements are entrusted to: Funeral and Cremation Service of Pine City, Swanson Chapel
www.FuneralAndCremationService.com