Antonin (Tony) Triska
September 20, 1947 to August 15, 2026
Obituary
It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Antonin (Tony) Tříška, in St. John’s, on August 15, 2026.
He was predeceased by his mother, Elzbieta Tříškova (née Epstein) and his father, Josef Tříška. He leaves to mourn his partner, Susan Winsor and her family, his sister, Eva Lužná of Hradec Králové, Czechia, his nieces and nephews and their families, Maisie Epstein (Sidney Epstein, deceased) and a very close but far-flung circle of friends in his beloved Czechia and his home of more than 50 years, St. John’s, NL.
Born in ‘free’ Czechoslovakia, Tony left as a young man in 1971 to find his way to St. John’s where his grandfather, Joseph Epstein (a holocaust survivor), and a number of other relatives had made their home before and after the Second World War. It would be nearly twenty years before Tony could return to his beloved Czechia again where he would spend several weeks each year with his family and childhood friends.
We are deeply grateful to family, friends, colleagues and neighbours who have been there for us, especially in the past few months. We are particularly grateful to Dr. Joshua Bragg and the many wonderful staff of Palliative Care Services for their attentiveness and care. We also wish to thank Tony’s caregivers and Community Health Nurses, all of whom did their very best to care for and support Tony.
In accordance with Tony’s wishes, there will be a private graveside service with family and friends. To honour Tony’s love of the natural world, please consider contributions in his memory to the Canadian Wildlife Federation, or a similar organization dedicated to the conservation of our wildlife and wildlife habitats.
Tony was a warm and genuine man of integrity who lived life with simplicity and a deep regard for the earth and its inhabitants. He was cherished by his family and friends and will be deeply missed.
To Tony’s family and loved ones,
I hadn’t seen Tony since the 80’s but when I saw his photo here, I saw the wonderful guy I knew back then. Only the hair color had changed. Tony would come to our home in Paradise and help us with any plumbing issues back then and as he worked he would explain to me what he was doing and why. When I told him that the copper pipes in our attic would freeze whenever there was a winter northwest wind, we crawled up there and he showed me how to cut the pipe in two places and how to splice and solder it after so the leak was fixed.. He said, “Now you don’t need to call me in the middle of the night in the middle of the winter to fix your pipes”! We always joked our way through his visits and he was a friend to me through our dealings.. He was a great guy.
My deepest condolences.
Rob Luscombe
Susan
We were so sorry to hear the news of Tony’s passing.
We only met him a couple of times but he sure seemed like an interesting guy.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Craig and Suzanne
Dear Susan and Family,
I am so sorry to learn of Tony’s passing. I met him in the early ’70’s and we became’ brothers in law’ during the following decades. We had many wonderful times over meals and family get togethers. I could tease him about the latest ‘boooke’ that he had told us about with his strong and proud Czech accent. He was always so good natured about it and usually he was the 1st person to have fun with it ! Like so many others, Tony did plumbing for me and my family and it was always fun to see him and have a few laughs. He was a wonderful person.
Please accept my deepest sympathies.
With my love to all,
Dave Jackman
To the family of Tony and all who loved him, please accept my deepest condolences on the passing of a fine gentleman. Tony was my landlord at 35 Downing Street from 1985-88 and we got to know him fairly well. He always had a smile for us, a great conversation, and promptly dealt with any issues (of which there were very few). Tony was the type of man who you enjoyed having him show up. We last spoke several years ago downtown and he remembered all four of us by name. Says a lot about his character. RIP Tony.
Susan, we are so sorry for your loss. Please accept our sincere condolences. Bill & Carolynn Browne
I am deeply saddened by Tony’s passing and offer my most sincere condolences to Susie, Eva, family and friends. Tony has been a part of our family since I was born, all throughout my childhood and university years. Even though I’ve lived in Montreal for the past 32 years, I’ve made countless visits back home and dear Tony always made it a point to visit my parents’ house to catch up with me. Tony was a kind and intelligent man, and I adored his sharp Czech humor- we’ve had many a philosophical conversation and laughed so much together! Tony, I will treasure all those wonderful discussions we had – you will be dearly missed.
Monica Bubenik
Montréal, Québec
Susan, my deepest sympathy on Tony’s passing. May he rest in peace and may you be comforted by fond memories.
Paul Thomey
Susan, sincerest condolences to you and Tony’s family in the Czech Republic. I met Tony through the small Czech community in the St. John’s area. He became a friend and personal plumber to most of that community , including us. He accepted many supper invitations to our home even though he always reminded us that we lived in the “boonies”. He had a good sense of humor and entertained everyone at our small CZ gatherings. May you treasure the memories of the time you spent with him in your life.
A very fine fellow indeed! John and Jan Brien
Tony was a very special and kind person who was respectful of everyone he met. My wife and I have known Tony for over 50 years and he was a sincere friend and someone we considered as Family..
Everyone who had the pleasure of knowing Tony knew how Special he truly was. As an only child Tony seemed like an older brother who fit right in our Family.. I know my parents loved him and trusted him to keep me and our Friends out of trouble, which at times was not an easy thing to do.
Life goes on but Tony will always be in our hearts and memories and will be sincerely missed.
Our Condolences to Susan, Family and Friends on this very sad loss.
All Our Love,
Neil & Bev Richards
Edmonton, Alberta
Susan
My sincere condolences to you and to Masie.
I have very fond memories of my nights at Sid and Masie’s house playing cards. We sure had a lot of laughs.
Tony and I would fight over who was going to get the most of Masie’s Bavarian cream!.
He was a fine gentleman and will be missed by us all.
Susan
We are very sorry to learn of Tony’s passing. We always enjoyed chatting with him whenever we got together. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Brian and Mary Johnston
We were saddened to hear of Tony’s passing. We got to know Tony some years ago through our dear friends Maisie and the late (Sidney Epstein). So glad we got to visit with him at the hospital. Our sincere condolences to his partner Susan and to our dear friend Maisie Epstein.
In the small but tightly knit community of Czech immigrants in St. John’s, and for all of us in the Bubenik family, Tony was our nearest and dearest family friend. The saying that ‘friends are the family we choose for ourselves’ perfectly captures what Tony meant to us. He was not related to us by blood, but he was family in every way that mattered, like an uncle to me. As kids (and adults too!) my sister Monica and I were always delighted when he would come to visit, because whenever Tony came over, we knew there would be laughter. He had the best sense of humour, told the best jokes, and carried with him a warmth, lightness, and joy that seemed to brighten every room he entered. To quote George Orwell, “every joke is a tiny revolution.” Tony filled our lives with those small revolutions. He had a gift for lifting people’s spirits and bringing them together. Even now, when I think of him, I remember the sound of laughter around the kitchen table and the happiness that followed him wherever he went. His loss leaves a deep sadness, but also immense gratitude. How fortunate we were to have known him, and to have called him family. His kindness, humour, and generosity of spirit will remain with us always.
I worked with Tony back in the 90s and early 2000s. Very nice guy ..who was a hard worker .
We enjoyed many conversation about his yearly visits back to his homeland of Czechia.
He was also an avid Soccer enthusiast.
Sincere Condolences to his family and friends .🙏
Sorry to hear of Tony’s passing., he was a great mentor for me in my first years of plumbing. He showed me a lot , may he rest in peace. Condolences to his family.
Susan I am so very sorry for your loss.
R.I.P. Tony. I will be missing you.
Tony is a great man. Funny and fun and outgoing and interesting to talk to. He always brought positive energy to any room and put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces. His passing leaves a big hole in a lot of lives.
God rest his soul and may he be welcomed into God’s heavenly home.
When he made St.John’s NL his home he made our city a better place. Peace and Love to his family and friends.
Susan and Family,
Please accept my condolences on the passing of Tony. i’ve had many conversations , work related and his favourite subject – Politics with Tony over the past 35 years +!
I have learned a lot from him and I shall cherish the friendship
I’m sure you will have many fond memories of Tony as you celebrate his life with family and friends in the coming days.
Blessings,
Doug Haynes