JOHN VINCENT (JACK) CORTENS

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JOHN VINCENT (JACK) CORTENS 1923 - 2012 With his beloved wife at his bedside, Jack Cortens passed peacefully into the arms of Our Lord on Thursday, April 26, 2012, at Lake of the Woods District Hospital, Kenora, Ontario. Jack will be sadly missed by his loving and devoted wife of 61 years, Byrnece (née Pawlicki) and his six sons Philip, Peter, Michael, David, John and Andrew and their families including Jack's 23 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents Alfred and Gertrude (née Gange) Cortens, his beloved daughter Catherine Ann and two infant children Joseph and Maegan. Of his brothers and sisters he survived Ray, Laura, Mary Josephine and Audrey and leaves behind Violet, Gertrude, David and Brian. Born July 11, 1923, in Winnipeg, Jack graduated from St. Paul's College. His course of studies to be a Chartered Accountant was interrupted when he volunteered for the Royal Canadian Air Force serving as a Flying Officer in the capacity of navigator from 1942 to 1945. He completed his studies and worked for Revenue Canada where he met Byrnece. They were married on October 23, 1950, at St. Ignatius Parish. In 1953, they moved with their fledgling family to Kenora where he began work as a C.A. with Tom Saul, becoming a partner with the firm Dunwoody, Saul, Smith. In 1963, he moved his now burgeoning clan to Dryden, Ontario where he set up an office and practised as a C.A. first with the same firm and eventually in his own right until his retirement in 1983. He and Byrnece moved back to Kenora and lived at "camp" on Coney Island where they lovingly welcomed all visitors especially their grandchildren. In 2005, they moved into town and lived in an apartment on the shore of Lake of the Woods until his illness and death. Jack possessed a brilliant mind and a keen intellect. He was passionate about politics - a staunch conservative and lover of human liberty - and religion - a fervent orthodox Roman Catholic dedicated to traditional liturgy and a strong Pro-Life voice. He had a lifelong love of reading and over the years also took great enjoyment in travel, golf, sailing and bridge. Prayers on Thursday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. and funeral on Friday, May 4 at 11:00 a.m. both will be at St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 430 4th St. N., Kenora Ontario. The funeral will be followed immediately by a private interment in Dryden. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations to Pro-Life organizations or to the Lake of the Woods District Hospital Foundation. Brown Funeral Home Cremation Centre entrusted with arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 30, 2012