- Winnipeg Free Press Passages
- All Titles
Search:
Notices are posted by 10 am Monday through Saturday
MARY DOVYAK
Born: Dec 10, 1923
Date of Passing: Feb 17, 2020
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or Memory
MARY DOVYAK
1923 - 2020
Mary Dovyak was born in Winnipeg on December 10, 1923 to Anne and Louis Medwid. She was proud to have been raised in the North End, where she lived until her death on February 17.
It was in the North End that Mary completed high school, then moved on to graduate from Business College in 1942 - quite an accomplishment in those days for a young woman of Ukrainian descent.
She worked for many years for Merchants Consolidated before refocusing her efforts towards being a homemaker and mother after meeting Stanley on a North End baseball diamond in the early 1950s.
Mary and Stan married on November 20, 1954, and enjoyed 55 years of marriage until Stan's passing in 2010. A couple years after their wedding they welcomed their daughter Patricia; their son Jeffrey followed a number of years later.
Mary spent much of the next few decades providing daily assistance and care to her aging and ailing parents, in addition to looking after her own home and family with vim and vigour.
When Mary's grandchildren arrived many years later, "Grandma Stan" became a loving babysitter. She played many an enthusiastic game of hide and seek (only one of which resulted in a nearly broken hip and a week-long hospital stay), read countless books, and made hundreds of batches of unwaveringly delicious scrambled eggs - an inexplicable delicacy neither of her grandchildren has yet been able to replicate (despite Grandma's insistence she used "nothing but eggs and milk").
Mary and Stan shared a strong faith in the Ukrainian Catholic Church. They, and both their children, were married at Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, a North End relic that Mary's father helped to build. Mary remained a parishioner at the time of her passing and enjoyed the spiritual guidance, support and visits she continued to receive from Fr. Volodymyr Bashutsky.
An avid news hound and local sports fan, Mary routinely watched the nightly news, read the newspaper from cover to cover, and enjoyed spirited discussions with her family and friends about local affairs and sporting events. Sadly, she lost this pleasure over the last few years as her hearing and vision faltered.
Mary also experienced significant physical challenges caused by arthritis as she aged. Yet, she was fiercely determined to remain independent, and lived in her own house until the age of 89. She moved from "home" to Holy Family Towers, where she lived until May 2019 with assistance from her family and home care before transitioning into the adjoining Holy Family Nursing Home.
Mary is survived by her daughter Pat Horbal (Russ), son Jeff Dovyak (Rhonda), granddaughter Julie Dooley (Mike), grandson Luke Dovyak (Samantha), and great-grandsons, Milo and Griffin Dooley.
Mary's family would like to thank Doctors Andrea and Terry Babick and the Holy Family Nursing Home staff for the care provided to Mary over the last nine months.
Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, February 21 at Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, 965 Boyd Ave. with Fr. Bashutsky officiating.
Flowers are graciously declined. Donations can be made to Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church or Holy Family Nursing Home.
Vichnaya Pamyat - Eternal Memory
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 20, 2020
Condolences & Memories (4 entries)
-
Dear Pat, Russ, Jeffrey and Rhonda and families… we wish to send you our heartfelt condolences. I am grateful that our mothers shared a close friendship throughout their many years. As a youngster I was witness to their lengthy and joyful phone conversations. Though our families were not close in the traditional sense of the word, there was always a feeling of kinship. I appreciated your kind words on the passing of our mother. We are thinking of you and your families. Jeff Lehman and Lorene Legaree (Atikokan ON) - Posted by: Jeff Lehman (Friend) on: Mar 18, 2020
-
I knew Mary and Stan from my earlier years while I worked at Winnipeg Hydro. Mary and Stan were my next door neighbors, while I lived at 1140 Mountain Ave in the heart of Winnipeg's north end. They were truly a fine couple and always watched out for me and my home thru my years that I resided on Mountain Ave. Mary was so great, she even called the police while my home was broken into, and the police caught the underage culprits because of her 911 call. What more can you say about that. A loyal, wonderful heart, I and wish the world had many more fine people like Mary and Stan. Rest in peace. Allan - Posted by: Allan Kropelnicki (Winnipeg Hydro worker/ friend) on: Feb 20, 2020
-
Dear Pat & Russ very sorry to see that your mother passed away and extending my deepest sympathy to the Dovyak family. Thank you for sharing this wonderful tribute of a life well lived. Thinking of you at this very sad and difficult time. 'Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.' Mother Teresa Lynda Ruban (Carlson) high school acquaintance - Posted by: Lynda Ruban (old friend from high school days) on: Feb 20, 2020
-
Dear Pat, Russ, Jeffrey, Rhonda and families: many memories of our growing up years and your wonderful mother are filling my thoughts and heart. She is now with your dear father. May she rest in peace in the comfort of God's love. - With deepest condolences and everlasting friendship from Linda and family - Posted by: Linda (Zbyr) Bretecher (Friend) on: Feb 20, 2020
