STEPHANIA SAMILA

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STEPHANIA SAMILA Stephania Samila passed away peacefully after a short illness on Tuesday, February 1, 2000 at St. Josephs Hospital, Toronto, in her 93rd year. Stephania Podhorodecka was born in Rudniki, Poland, February 20, 1906. Because of economic hardship in Ukraine, in 1928 as a young woman, she left her family and came to Canada alone to seek a better life. In Winnipeg, she met and married Sylvester Samila. She and Sylvester struggled and worked hard together through the Depression and war years. During the war years, she raised two young children alone while her husband served with the Canadian Army in England for five years. After the war, they resided together in North Winnipeg, raising their family in the best Canadian Ukrainian spirit and tradition. They worked hard and devoted their lives to ensure the best for their family. Stephania enjoyed gardening and was an excellent cook and hostess. She loved to prepare traditional Ukrainian meals, refusing to sit until all guests were well fed. When her husband died in 1998, she moved to Toronto to live with her son David and his family. For the past five years she resided at the Ivan Franko Nursing Home in Toronto. She will be fondly remembered by her many friends in Winnipeg and Toronto. A loving and devoted wife, mother and grandmother, she will be sadly missed by her daughter Elsie Phillips of Winnipeg and sons, David of Coldwater, ON and Zenon of Vancouver, BC; and her seven grandchildren. With fondness, love and devotion to her family, she has passed on leaving lives enriched by having touched them through a long and good life well lived. Funeral services will be held at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main St. at Luxton, on Saturday, February 5 at 10:00 a.m. with a Basilian Father officiating. Interment will follow at Glen Eden Memorial Gardens. Cropo Funeral Chapel in care of arrangements, 586-8044.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Feb 04, 2000