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ELAINE (YOLANA) ANNE OLYNYK
Born: Jun 04, 1938
Date of Passing: Jul 23, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryELAINE (YOLANA) ANNE OLYNYK
It is with profound sadness we announce the sudden but peaceful passing of Elaine (Mom) on July 23, 2026 at the age of 88, with family by her side.
Mom was predeceased by her husband Bert, son Darren, parents Petrina and Gabriel Yankech, brother Steve, sisters Annie and Emily.
Mom was born June 4, 1938 in Kocurice, Slovakia. She immigrated to Canada as an infant with her parents and sister Emily.
Gabriel built their homestead (farm) in 1940 in Komarno MB, which, to this day, remains in the family.
Mom, 2nd of 9 children, grew up on this farm, attended school in Light School District where she graduated with honours in Grade 8.
Chores were a daily requirement on the farm. They helped to shape Mom's strong work ethic and fostered the deep love and respect for animals that remained with her throughout her life. Her fondest memory was to squirt barn cats as she milked the cows. She always laughed when she told this story.
At age 17, Mom moved to Winnipeg, where she met our dad, Bert. They married on November 23, 1957 and together they raised 6 precious children, which they were extremely proud of.
Mom's very first job outside the farm was in a sewing factory. This job contributed to her lifelong passion for sewing. She was proud of her clothing creations, had many patterns and was an excellent seamstress. Mom and us children often wore clothing she designed. Mom was also the family stain remover, where no tough stain stood a chance against Mom's magic!
Mom's 27 year career as a Maintenance Engineer at Seven Oaks School Division was fulfilling. She achieved many awards. Mom's many years of success as a Union Recording Secretary is largely attributed to her excellent social aptitude along with her outstanding interpersonal, grammar and spelling skills. Mom took great pride in this volunteer position and enjoyed the many conferences she attended, which allowed her to showcase her fashion, love for music and dancing.
Mom was the glue of the family, both immediate and extended. She modeled kindness, compassion, resilience, integrity, strength, empathy, generosity, patience, optimism, and the list goes on. Everyone experienced her genuine interest in "you" and valued her words of wisdom at some point in their life.
Mom was loved by all. Everywhere she went, she greeted everyone - even complete strangers - with a warm, energetic, song in her voice, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon", leaving people smiling and believing it was a good morning or afternoon. Her smile, laughter and positive energy lit up entire rooms, she was truly a ray of sunshine. She was always thinking of others, planning kind gestures and trying to make their day. Mom was also game for absolutely everything, responding, "why not" or "but of course" when asked to do something.
Her beauty was not only on the inside. She always took great pride in looking her best, which was obvious to all, as she was stunningly beautiful.
Family always came first to Mom. Her love for family even brought Mom to Slovakia to meet her extended family. She called them every 2nd Friday since meeting them. She created a family album with such pride and made 10 duplicate copies to give to her immediate family.
We could always count on Mom's support and unconditional love. We shared countless family gatherings, large and small, creating sweet memories. Mom had delicious recipes that she passed on to her children, to leave for generations to come. Plates, borscht, pie crust, poor man's pudding, customized birthday cakes, speciality potatoes and rice, to name a few. And one of Mom's best cooking advice - if you want food to taste better, cook with lots of onions and butter!
Mom was not only proud of her heritage, but was extremely proud to be Canadian. She obtained her citizenship in 1993 and celebrated every Canada Day with great enthusiasm - always decorating her yard with Canadian flags.
We will sadly miss our Mom for all the reasons above and more. We will also miss hearing her gentle loving voice and laughter during her customized Happy Birthday song on our phones.
Left to cherish her memory are children Debra (Paul) Lefebvre, Cheryl (Jug) Grover, Lori (Shann) Chartrand, Trina (Steve) Herzog and Derek (Kathy) Olynyk. Grandchildren Sara, Laura, Emma, Robert, Lauren, Dylan, Ryan, Jenna, Samantha, Devin and Johann. Brothers John, Joe, Richard, Victor and Benny. Many great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and friends.
Mom was extremely generous, donating more than her share to various organizations. Therefore, in lieu of flowers, because of her great love for all animals and birds, donations can be made to any animal rescue in Manitoba or to Winnipeg Humane Society, where mom faithfully donated monthly for the past 25 years.
Celebration of life is Friday, August 7 at 2pm, Glen Eden Funeral Home, 4477 Main St. Interment and reception to follow.
For those unable to attend, live streaming is available at https://www.youtube.com/live/Zojo4CQ5T58
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 01, 2026
