Richard Albert Dobranski

DOBRANSKI, Richard Albert Born February 23, 1951 – October 3, 2023. Aged 72 years.

It is with great sadness that we announce that on October 3^rd, 2023 at his home near Roblin, Manitoba, our brilliant and dedicated father, grandfather, uncle, brother, colleague, and friend, Richard Albert Dobranski, passed away peacefully at the age of 72 after a difficult battle with cancer.

Rick was born in the Grandview Hospital on February 23, 1951. Just a few miles to the west of Grandview still lies the Dobranski Family farm, only minutes east outside of Bield, Manitoba. This hard-tilled land raised and molded generations of those with the Dobranski name. On this very same plot of land are memories from birthdays, holidays, bountiful harvests and everything in between.

Rick often spoke of his very happy childhood with his fondest memories of trapping around the lake, attending the Bield School, playing the accordion at weddings and socials, and helping his dad build and grow the family farm with the help of his mom and three wonderful sisters.

 At the time of his death Rick was an extremely well traveled man having worked in numerous countries all around the world; despite this, he always insisted that he was luckier than most because he got to grow up in a place more beautiful then any other place he had ever seen.

After setting out from the family farm, Rick graduated from the University of Manitoba with a degree in Agricultural Economics. You only needed to know Rick for a short time to see that he had genius mind. His endless motivation, powerful drive, and sheer dedication led him through an incredibly successful career, where he enriched and improved the companies and lives of many.

He began his commodities trading career with Otto Lang’s Grain Group in Ottawa. It didn’t take long before Rick started to make a name for himself. He continued on this path gaining experience and building his reputation with Northern Sales in Manitoba before eventually settling into a partnership with All State Grain in Surrey, BC. With Rick’s assistance All State was later sold to Elders Grain in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

It was at this time Rick would fulfill one of his life dreams being in 1989 he semi-retired from his immensely successful city life at the age of 38 and moved his family to his own newly built family farm adjacent to his parent’s homestead, near Roblin, Manitoba.

Like his father before him, Rick continued the family craft producing a wide variety of grains and raising a wide range of animals on his newly acquired land. Rick’s ranching venture would go on to be his most notable, when in the 1990s Rick pivoted to build the farm into an esteemed Bison Ranch. Rick spent his happiest times on his ranch entertaining guests, taking friends and peers for Bison Tours (gaining himself the nickname “Buffalo Man”), teaching his kids and grandkids about farming, debating about politics, and providing consulting services to other farmers and traders.

Ricks closest friends recall his happiest moments were often found on hot summer nights, driving the combine with one hand and trading grain on his cell phone with the other.

Once his homestead was settled, Rick eagerly returned to full time trading. Rick worked with International Grain Trade Canada of Vancouver before once again running his own office with Pars Ram Pulses from his home in Roblin, Manitoba. It was there at that office that Rick was proud to have the opportunity to train and mentor several of his children in the industry he so dearly loved like his youngest daughter Chelane, who worked with him until the final company he consulted and traded for, Marina Commodities Inc.

Aside from his close friends and family there is a long list of people from all walks of life who credit Rick with having taught, mentored, advised or consulted them in ways that greatly changed their lives and businesses for the better.

 Although you may not have been around to hear him say it; Rick held a special place in his heart to all who had the pleasure to call him their friend.

The contributions Rick made to the grain marketing industry in Western Canada helped to shape its very framework. The grain trading industry will never be the same again.

Rick will be remembered as a dedicated teacher with a genius mind. From his children to his colleagues, from the waitress to the judge, Rick always wanted to grow and share his immense knowledge with anyone who was up for a good conversation.

Although, an extremely generous man, Ricks greatest pleasures were often the simplest things in life: long lively conversations, an amazing meal, good drinks, and some laughs, surrounded by friends and family.

Rick will be lovingly remembered by his children: Hunter Kennedy (formerly Weylon Dobranski) of Vancouver, Cheyanne Dobranski of Kelowna, Jasmin Dobranski of Toronto, Marlon Dobranski of Roblin, Chelane Dobranski of Roblin, Chasen Dobranski of Scottsdale, his sisters: Janice Sloan of Nepean, Eleanor Dobranski of Winnipeg, and Margaret Lussier of Winnipeg, his grandchildren: Quincy, Ethan, and Ashlynne, and countless colleagues, traders, and grain consultants around the world.

Rick was predeceased in his death by his parents Albert and Mary (nee Yaciuk) Dobranski, and his amazing third son Lochlon Dobranski

The world will never see another man like Rick Dobranski.

“Faster Horses, Younger Women, Older Whisky, And More Money”

• TomT.Hall

‘Faster Horses’ (The Cowboy and The Poet) by singer Tom T.Hall, delves into the deeper meanings of life and the pursuit of dreams. ‘Faster Horses’ is a metaphorical reflection on the passage of time and the fleeting nature of life. The Cowboy symbolizes a life of action, adventure, and chasing after our dreams; while the poet embodies a contemplative and introspective nature, seeking meaning and purpose through his words. Seeing life as an endless pursuit of dreams and the urgency to make the most of every moment.

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