I will forever be grateful that Serendipity placed me in this special spot in between these two wonderful couples I have grown to admire and love so much!
Unlike the Piersons and the Hawryluks, I grew up in an age of unprecedented prosperity that was markedly different from the world inhabited by my parents (born in 1943 and 1946) and more especially my grandparents (born in 1899, 1907, 1918, and 1919)—who were coming of age as either young adults or teenagers during the Great Depression and/or World War II years,
just like the Piersons and the Hawryluks.
By the time I was born in 1979, the scarcity of these two generational-defining eras—and to a large extent the personal and cultural virtues they engendered—were rapidly becoming distant memories.
I was blessed, however, to be close to several family members and friends—like the Piersons and the Hawryluks—who lived through these difficult times. I therefore learned a great deal about the eras and cultures in which they grew up—and came to understand how fortunate I was to have been born and raised in more prosperous times.
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Gardening with my maternal grandmother,
Ruth Pingree Smith (1907-1992)
Centerville, Utah
Circa 1985 |
Through their examples, I was able to glean some powerful character and life lessons. I was also able to observe their attitudes, beliefs, and actions which—for better or for worse—spoke a lot louder than their words.
For example, once as a lad of 10 or 11 years old, I went out to eat at a Chinese restaurant in northern Utah with my maternal grandmother, Ruth Pingree Smith (1907-1992). I'll never forget watching this aged, but still energetic and lucid-minded old lady take a single napkin from the dispenser, tear it in half, put one half of the napkin in her purse for later use, and then proceed to use only half of a napkin throughout her entire meal.
For a kid growing up in the financially prosperous and materially decadent decades of the 1980s and 1990s—who was accustomed to taking as many napkins as I pleased and then using them as wastefully as I wished—this small and simple, yet incredibly telling act left a lasting impression upon me.
While I often heard my progenitors speak of leaner times, financially and materially speaking—and the accompanying actions, habits, and mantras spawned thereby—they were never real for me in the same way as they were for my parents and grandparents.
Nevertheless, I grew to respect family members and others born in the first half of the 20th century for the noble actions, habits, and virtues they often exemplified—character traits that had been shaped in part by the times in which they lived. Moreover, I came to view their approval and praise as a badge of honor upon my own personal character and citizenship.
While all generations have their faults and flaws, I nevertheless discerned a deep well of wisdom residing among my parents'—and more especially from my grandparents' generations. From these pure waters of moral instruction, I was able to extract legitimate life lessons that transcended any one generation and for which I knew could bless my future.
These familial, church, and community models of fidelity, frugality, modesty, simplicity, and silent courage became my mentors—not because they forced their ideology on me, but because I genuinely admired their character and integrity and respected the ways in which they conducted their own lives. I was therefore motivated to act in ways that would garner the approbation of my elders and, in-turn, further burnish the admirable legacy they left behind by further practicing these noble characteristics in my own life and career.
In saying this, I do not wish to sugarcoat the imperfections of past generations, either individually or collectively. In fact, I have probably learned as much from the behavioral shortfalls, counterproductive superstitions, and myopic mindsets of my progenitors as I have from their many admirable traits.
So, while the phrase "the good old days" may be as much myth as it is reality, there remains something to be said about respecting your Elders and learning from those who have gone before.
Moreover, as a general rule—and SAL is all about general principles, practices, and rules—we at Freedom Focused believe it is more productive to perpetually point out the positive aspects of my (or anyone else's) ancestry rather than unnecessarily resurrecting and pining over whatever sins and other negative components also existed. It is self-evident that all human beings of all ages have exhibited their sins and weaknesses. While there is value in remembering the vices; it is more productive to focus on and accentuate the virtues. Such is the useful utilization and positive practice of Appreciative Inquiry, which experts define as:
"The cooperative, coevolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives life to an organization or a community [or one's ancestry] when it is most effective and most capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. ... [Appreciative inquiry] assumes that every organization and community has many untapped and rich accounts of the positive..." (1)
It has been said that: There is Elegance in Simplicity.
Some of the greatest collective qualities personified by previous generations are frugality, modesty, simplicity, and self-reliance.
Fred and Marlene Hawryluk are textbook case studies of these noteworthy and venerable qualities. It is, therefore, most appropriate that they are highlighted in this Life Leadership textbook!
This chapter shares the common, yet compelling, story of the simple, yet elegant lives they lived for nearly two centuries (177 combined years).
When I first met the Hawryluks nearly three (3) decades ago in the summer of 2000, they had already been living in their small and modest—yet clean and comfortable—home for nearly 40 years. Despite its humble size, I have rarely (if ever) seen a more tidy and well-kept home. But it was more than just clean and organized; it offered a peaceful, pleasant, and authentically welcoming atmosphere.
For four (4) months (late June to late October 2000) of my two-year, full-time missionary service, I lived in the house next door to the "Happy Hawryluk Home" and had several opportunities to visit. I will never forget this precious, impressionable, and memorable period of my young adulthood.
Fred's father, John Hawryluk, immigrated to Canada from the Ukraine in the early 1910s. At the time, 160-acre homesteading plots of free land were available to anyone willing to work it. John was willing to work and took the leap of faith across the Atlantic and most of the North American Continent to make his dream come true.
Like most people who chase after an ambitious dream, John's pursuit of free land in Canada did not come without its challenges. In fact, after arriving in Canada, John was arrested! This unfortunate turn of events was triggered by the onset of World War I, which pitted the United Kingdom and its Empire (including Canada) against the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which encompassed present day Ukraine. Fears of cultural and political subversion from disloyal sympathizers results in the arrests of many immigrants at the time, many of which were unjustified.
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Fred Hawryluk and his mother, father, and two older sisters.
Muriel Pierson, 2.5 years older than Fred, is on the far right. |
Despite this temporary setback, John did not give up on his dream. After his release, he returned to the same neighborhood in which he had previously tried to start a new life and bought up all the land he could. He was not rich, but he was industrious and had an eye for opportunity. He was also a very hard worker and avoided debt like the plague.
John's son, Fred Joseph Hawryluk, was born on Canada Day (July 1st) in 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, which impacted countries and markets worldwide. Fred went to school in a four (4) room schoolhouse that included two (2) outhouses and a stable for the horses students would ride to school.
Marlene was born a year later in June 1932. They both were raised in humble, but safe circumstances in Alberta, Canada.
Later, when Fred and Marlene got married in 1953, John gifted his son a small plot of land to build a new home for his bride. Fred then bought a small adjacent lot of land for $285 and began building on his new, combined properties.
Like the Piersons, the Hawryluks started out with few possessions and very little money. However, they were hard working, self-reliant, and frugal. Determined to remain debt-free, they patiently built their home a piece-at-a-time—as they could afford it—over a 2-year period of time. By taking this patient, self-reliant approach, they were able to pay for the materials as they went and never had to have a mortgage!
Instead of incurring bank and other loans, they invested sweat, tears, and even a little blood (from minor accidents) into the construction of a humble and modest, but clean, comfortable, safe, and warm home for themselves and the children they would invite into their family in the future.
The Happy Hawryluk Home is in the top left-hand corner with red roof.
The "Pink Palace" as JJ calls it, where he would live some 40 years later, is next
door with the green roof. Muriel Hawryluk Pierson is second from right.
Circa 1950s.
More than 60 years later, Fred and Marlene were still living together in this exact same home they built together in the middle of the 20th century, until Fred passed away in 2017. Seventy (70) years later, Marlene passed away in 2022.
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| Carrots from Fred and Marlene Hawryluk's Garden. |
All those years the Hawryluks maintained a large, well-kept, and productive flower and vegetable garden and small fruit orchard. Raising a perennial crop of their own fresh fruits and veggies saved them countless dollars at the grocery store over the course of their adult lives.
Alberta winters can be extremly cold, often dipping well below freezing temperatures. During their first winter, Fred and Marlene lived in only one room of their partially completed house; and their only bathroom as an outhouse!
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Fred in the backroom of
Happyland Shoes.
Circa 1970s |
Fred completed the electric wiring himself after proactively seeking out lessons on the skill. Throughout the construction process, he would often walk to where another home was being constructed and observe how the builders were proceeding. He learned a
lot from these careful observations, and managed to progress with the building of his
own home by working a step-or-two behind the construction crew he was regularly observing.
Marlene helped Fred with much of the manual labor, including sawing boards. Once their home was finished, they snuggled down in their new nest with the intention of living simple, yet full and happy lives together.
They succeeded wonderfully in their objective!
The Hawryluks were honest and hard-working people—all of their lives. Fred first supported his family by working at a florist shop, which fueled his love for gardening, which he would pursue passionately as an adult.
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Fred's delivery van at Happyland Shoes.
Circa 1970s |
Later, he worked as a door-to-door salesman peddling
Rena Ware, a high-end cookware brand that still exists today. After becoming an expert salesman himself, he worked as a manager supervising a group of salespersons.
From 1963 until 1986, he owned and operated his own shoe company, which he named Happyland Shoes, which carried popular children's sized shoe styles.
Happyland Shoes also excelled in making specialized shoes that doctors in the Alberta Children's Hospital would prescribe to patients with unique podiatry issues. In 1967, Fred added a shoe repair shop to his growing business. When he retired in 1986, one of his sons, Dwayne Hawryluk, took over the family business and continued operating it until its closure in 2009.
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Fred working in his cobbler's shop in his garage.
Circa 2000s. |
Fred maintained an old-fashioned cobbler's shop in his garage where he continued repairing shoes for family members and friends long after he retired. In fact, in the year 2000—fourteen (14) years after he had retired—he kindly repaired one of my own shoes
free of charge during the short time I spent living next door to the Hawryluks on my church mission. As missionaries, we spent a
lot of time
walking, and it was not uncommon for our shoes to wear out or need repair or replacing. Fred's valuable skills and experience as a cobbler came in right handy at the very moment I needed a hand with my footwear.
Throughout their long, productive, and happy lives, Fred and Marlene were good spouses, parents, neighbors, citizens, and persons of faith who were always active members of their church. They dedicated much of their time to the service of others. They were not perfect people—no one in this world is perfect—but they were good people and outstanding examples of steady and reliable self-action leadership.
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Marlene in their lush home (backyard) garden.
Circa 2000s |
In the twilight of their lives, Fred and Marlene were able to look back on their long lives with satisfaction, fulfillment, contentment, and most importantly—
inner peace. In other words, they lived their lives without regrets.
I have met a lot of monetarily rich folks with portly portfolios who cannot say the same thing.
I'll bet you have too.
Fred and Marlene Hawryluk never owned a yacht, mixed or mingled with societal elites, or made the evening news; but there is an awful lot to admire and learn from in their sterling examples of quiet, consistent, and truly exemplary Self-Action Leadership.
In June 2017, Fred passed away after 64 years of marriage to Marlene, leaving her behind in the good hands and protective care of a large and loving family that includes five (5) children, 23 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren. (2) They taught these children and grandchildren the same character traits and life lessons that brought them success. Their children and grandchildren are, in-turn, handing similar lessons on to their posterity, which continues to multiply each year that passes.
Marlene lived for another seven-and-a-half (7.5) years, passing away peacefully in January 2025, surrounded by her loved ones she had given her own life to raising, teaching, and loving. By that time, their great-grandchild count had risen to 43!
Fred and Marlene were never famous or rich in the eyes of most people in this world. But, there is no question they were exceedingly wealthy in family, friends, fresh fruit and vegetables, and the happiness and inner peace of mind that can only come from living steady lives dedicated to True Principles rooted in Universal Laws.
Moreover, who can measure the value of zero debt?
It is hard to put a price tag on the value of such existential luxuries. It is fitting, therefore, that Marlene liked to refer to her little home—a veritable Heaven on Earth—as the "Hawryluk Haven" or the "Happy Hawryluk House."
One thing I know for certain: I always felt happiness and peace myself whenever I had the privilege of entering the either the inner home or outer sanctum (garden) of the Happy Hawryluk House.
In Your Journal
To an extent, Western culture has oriented its citizenry to dismiss, ignore, parody, and in some cases, even cheat, deceive, rob, abuse, and otherwise take advantage of its Senior Citizens. Sadly, Westerners often ignore or discount the Elderly in exchange for worshipping at the altar of youth, virility, and physical attractiveness, strength, and vigor. Instead of venerating Seniors and looking to them as experienced leaders and guides who can correct and reign-in the follies of youthful impulsiveness and inexperience, the West too often lionizes the young and crowns cosmetic beauty over experience and wisdom while demonizing every blemish and wrinkle that may visually mar one's outward appearance.
At Freedom Focused, we embrace more of an Asian-centric paradigm that values and venerates the aged for the life experience and wisdom they can contribute to society. We view the West's underappreciation of the Elderly as an egregious cultural error and sin. In our view, the Elderly should—generally speaking—be recipients of the attention, esteem, honor, and respect of members of younger generations.
- Do you agree with our view? Why or why not?
- The next time you have an opportunity to visit with an elderly person, spend some time asking them questions about their experiences and memories from the past. Then, follow that up with asking them for advice and counsel aimed at gaining insights and wisdom into your own life's journey and challenges.
—Dr. JJ
Wednesday, November 11, 2025 (#2)
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Author's Note: This is the 490th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 278th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.
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Chapter 11 Notes
1. Cooperrider, D. L. and Whitney, D. (2005). Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive
Revolution in Change. San Francisco, CA: Berrett-Koehler. Page 8.
2. These posterity stats are from 2015, and have, of course, continued to grow.
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