JOHN HUNCHAK

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JOHN HUNCHAK August 15, 1912 - May 31, 2011 John passed away peacefully at the age of 98 years, at the Health Sciences Centre, in Winnipeg, MB. He is survived by his wife, Irene, daughter Elaine, son-in-law Ron Arnason and granddaughter Robyn. He was predeceased by his parents and all of his brothers and sisters. He will be lovingly remembered by his family, including many nieces, nephews and friends of all ages. John was born and raised in Ladywood, MB on the east-side of Lake Winnipeg. Here he met his wife of 71 years, Irene (nee Fedun). In their early life together, while Irene worked as a school teacher, John worked in construction and lumber camps in Northern Ontario and Manitoba. He later worked as a foreman for what was formerly called Supercrete Ltd. until his retirement. He was a skilled equipment operator and mechanic who could fix almost anything. After retiring, as a hobby, John worked at an equestrian centre which reconnected him with horses and his farming roots. John and Irene settled in the West End of Winnipeg, on Dominion Street. Here they raised their daughter and enjoyed many family holidays and special events. They lived in their home for almost 60 years until they moved into Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence in 2008. John was a proud, kind and humble man whose first priority was always to provide for his family. As a husband he stood by and watched over Irene until the very end. As a father, he made sure that Elaine had the education and confidence to carry her through life. As a grandpa, he had the time and patience to spend time with Robyn so that she knew that she could do anything she put her mind to and that he would do all that he could for her. While John had the scarred hands of a working man, there was nothing more gentle than when he held is granddaughter or more nimble than when he played the fiddle. John loved music and always wanted to share what he called the universal language with everyone. He livened up all our family gatherings with many old time waltzes and polkas. At the age of 92, John formed The John Hunchak band who along with Elaine on piano, nephew Ed Hunchak on violin and family friend, Craig Mackie on drums recorded a CD. John was very proud of this recording and he had his 15 minutes of fame when the story of its production was covered by the CBC National News. John loved his family, music, flower gardening and berry picking, especially strawberries. Always curious about how things worked, he enjoyed learning about how to use his cell phone to take pictures and was especially proud of having learnt how to use his computer for sending emails, surfing the web and even video skyping family members. John will be greatly missed by all the family and friends who were fortunate enough to have had him in their lives. The family is especially grateful to the staff of the Health Sciences Centre and Shaftesbury Park Retirement Residence for the support, care and compassion they showed towards him. A private family service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to any charity that is important to you. Chapel Lawn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, 885-9715.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jun 03, 2011