MARIA SYTNICK (PALESHNUIK)

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MARIA SYTNICK (nee PALESHNUIK) August 25, 1927 August 13, 2009 It is with great sadness that we announce the death of our beloved mother, grandmother and sister Maria Sytnick. Maria died peacefully, at St. Boniface Hospital, the evening of August 13, after being hit with a severe stroke four days earlier. She was born in Winnipeg in 1927, to Joseph and Emilia Paleshnuik. She was predeceased by her father and mother, her husband Joseph, sisters, Jenny and Rose, and brothers Rudy and John and their wives, Carole and Agnes. Maria was loved by all and will leave a profound void in the lives of her children, Jim and Patricia, her granddaughter Maria, brothers Morris (Barbara), Ed (Marion) and Bill (Gail) and the extended Paleshnuik and Kostiuk families. Maria's first language was Ukrainian and, as the oldest daughter in a large family, she played a major role in helping her mother raise her brothers and sisters. Her father was an immigrant from Ukraine who like many, struggled to care for his family during the difficult years of the depression. These experiences played a major role in forming her personality and gave her a gift for saving money, being creative and making due with limited resources. She enjoyed having a full house and always made room for the many stray cats her children brought home with them. She had a talent for cooking and was always baking and trying new recipes. Maria excelled at school and always placed a great value on education. She completed grade 11 at St. John's Tech and went on to attend a private business college, where she met her lifelong friends Luba Skwarchuk, and Anne Krosny. In summers, they often took the train to Winnipeg Beach. In 1950, she met her husband Joseph. They married in 1952 and went on to raise their children in the Fort Rouge area. While raising her children she did typing part-time from her home, and later, went back to work full-time. She spent almost 20 years working for the Manitoba Government's Civil Service Commission and Department of Natural Resources; two jobs she enjoyed immensely. After retirement she worked as a volunteer for the Alzheimer's Society. She also travelled the world with her sister Rose. She fell in love with her granddaughter, Maria Emilia, and was a major helper to her daughter in raising her. She was devoted to her family and often said if you don't have your health and family, all the money in the world won't help you. She was proud of her Ukrainian background and was known for her incredible memory and eye for detail. If you knew Maria you knew she had experienced the depression and always had an open heart for causes that worked with the poor and the disadvantaged. For most of her life she was blessed with good health and lived up to the end in her own home. The family would like to thank the staff at St. Boniface Hospital for their excellent care and concern, especially Dr. Mike Pasiorowski and staff on ward 5B. Funeral service will be held at Korban Funeral Chapel at 907 Main Street, Winnipeg on Thursday, August 20, at 10:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Winnipeg Humane Society, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba in Maria's memory.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 18, 2009