Eileen Dorothy Drotar

We, the children of Eileen Dorothy (Banga) Drotar, are so very sad to announce her peaceful passing at the Esterhazy hospital on the evening of May 15, 2026. Mom ended her journey with a short hospital stay and her family by her side at the age of 88. She often joked that no matter which way you turn her numbers, she would still be the same age.

On February 6,1938 Joe & Julia (Bacsu) Banga welcomed their third child onto the family farm southwest of Stockholm. If you ever watched how she would start to wiggle as soon as the music started, we would like to think she danced her way into this world. Many happy memories were highly shared of her early years growing up on the farm. Chores, milking cows, gardening, tending to younger siblings and helping her Dad farm. She loved him so much that she named one of her favourite people after him. She spoke fondly of her school years at St. David’s, especially all the dances she was able to attend as a teenager.

She loved to share her knowledge; Mom was extremely skilled at survival. She was very proud to have taught many of us how to process our own meat & poultry, how to garden, can pickles, make homemade noodles and make the most deadly cabbage rolls. She loved fishing and absolutely treasured her trips with Joe & Christine. Nobody, and I mean nobody, could fillet a fish like she could. Mom began her family on the Drotar farm south of Stockholm, moved to Regina in 1972 and later returned in 1977. She was no stranger to hard work and held a few jobs throughout the years. Her greatest pride was her children, and she was the kind of grandma that was hands on. She held some very special relationships with a few of her grandsons as she had a hand in caring for them when times were complicated. She was a “Second Mom” to many of our friends. We have many precious memories made at the old farm and on Atkinson Street in Regina. Her years with Lawrence on Maple Drive and then the Toth farm at Spruce Hollow nurtured so many good times with friends and family alike. Her resilience was never more evident than when she lost everything in a devastating house fire and had to start over. Mom was very proud of her heritage and loved speaking Hungarian with us and anyone who could, especially her grandsons that were able to sing along with her. Mom loved to have fun. She loved good music and dancing. She loved nature, farming, animals, gardening, wiener roasts and feeding her wild birds. With Joe’s shared love of gardening, she was able to keep her own garden, as well as taking over her neighbour’s.

She will be missed. They broke the mold when they made her. Not too many of us can win a stock car race in their 40’s, still climb trees in their 50’s, stand on their head on a chair in their 60’s, go dancing in their 70’s and party to celebrate the beginning of their 80’s! Mom had a long and great life. She was the very last of all her family and so we can only imagine the heavenly homecoming that must have been.

Mom was predeceased by our dad, Stanley Drotar and her lifelong partner, Lawrence Toth. Her parents; Joesph & Julia Banga. Siblings; Lloyd(Mae) Banga, Arnold (in infancy), Lawrence (Shirley) Banga, Annette Taylor(Bud), Edward (Gloria) Banga, Marlene Benna(Steve). Nephews; Kim Banga, Kelly Banga and his son Branden. In-laws; Frank, Mary and Albert (Geraldine) Drotar, Peter and Anne Toth, as well as numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.

She leaves to mourn Her children; Vivian Morin (Gerald), Ken (Lynnette) Drotar and Joe (Christine) Drotar. Her grandchildren; Dustin Maga, Steven Drotar, Dylan Morin, Benn (Shannon) Drotar, Brenden Drotar, Drake Morin, Drew Brown and her one and only granddaughter, Julianna Opal Drotar. Her great grandchildren; Izaiah, Nicolas, Jacob, Serenity, Brydon, Riley, Brantley, Charlotte and Rosanna and her godson Albert Banga, as well as many old friends and family.