HRYHORIJ (HARRY) KANCHIR

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HRYHORIJ (HARRY) KANCHIR December 15, 1921 - December 11, 2004 With great sadness, the family of Hryhorij (Harry) Kanchir announces his sudden death on December 11, 2004 at the age of 82, just four days before his 83rd birthday. Hryhorij was born on December 15, 1921, in the village of Dobrachyn, in the Povit of Sokal near Lviv, in Ukraine, the son of Pavlo and Anna (Dytiuk) and brother to Yaniw, Kateryna, Olya, Maryna and Iryna. In 1923, the family moved to the village of Konotop and later was forcefully resettled by the Soviet government to the village of Krasne, near Ternopil. To avoid the oppressive Soviet regime, Hryhorij and his uncle Semen fled Ukraine in 1940 and arrived in the Weimer region of Germany where he worked for two years. Later, while working in Renzburg in Northern Germany he met his future wife Eugenia Bilabrova, a survivor of the famine-genocide 1932-1933, who was forcefully taken by the Nazis from the village of Kalanchak near Kherson in southern Ukraine to work in the German war factories. After the war, they were moved to the largely Ukrainian, Displaced Person's Camp in Haidenau not far from Hamburg and there in 1947 Hryhorij and Eugenia were married. Hryhorij's uncles Vasyl' and Ivan Dytiuk had immigrated to Grassland, AB in the 1920s and they sponsored Eugenia, Hryhorij and Semen to Canada in the fall of 1947, arriving in Grassland where they lived and worked on their family's farm for two years. In 1949 they moved back to Winnipeg where they joined Hryhorij's uncle Theodore and aunt Ivanna Wawrenchuk, his cousin Anna and Hryhorij Turko and his brother-in-law Dmytro Prasol. The following year he began working with CN Railway where he worked until his retirement in 1986. In 1950 Irka was born and two years later Diana arrived to complete their family. Hryhorij and Eugenia were loving parents, completely devoted to the activities of their two daughters as they were growing up. Both Hryjorij and Eugenia were active in Winnipeg's Ukrainian community, firstly at St. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral where they were members and secondly as loyal supporters of various Ukrainian church and cultural organizations where his family was associated. He was a simple man who dedicated his life to supporting the work of his daughters of which he was extremely proud. Hryhorij never sought titles or positions. He respected people, avoided conflicts and tried to promote goodwill and positive relations with everyone he encountered. After having surrounded himself with three women in his home, Hryhorij was pleased to finally have additional male support in the family when Vasyl' (Bill) Balan and Willy Zaporozan became his sons-in-law. Soon afterwards, Hryhorij and Eugenia's lives were greatly enriched with the arrival of three grandsons, Andrij (Balan) in 1986 and Adrian (Zaporozan) in 1988 and Nicholas (Zaporozan) in 1990. While Andrij was blessed to have his Dido and Baba as regular participants and supporters of his cultural and musical activities as he was growing up in Winnipeg, Adrian and Nicholas were enriched with Baba's and Dido's regular visits to Arlington, Texas and their keen interest in Adrian's and Nicholas' athletic and school activities. Hryhorij was especially proud to know his grandsons in Texas were actively engaged in hockey, which was his favourite sport and one that he avidly followed each and every season. Hryhorij was a very kind and compassionate person. He had a wide range of interests and enjoyed the company of a large and diverse circle of friends. He was especially fond of the many friends of both Irka and Diana and in recent years he considered many of them among his closest friends. Hryhorij loved his Winnipeg north end community. For more than 50 years he could be seen between the months of April and November travelling about the north end, doing his daily routines on his CCM touring bicycle. At home, in addition to his family, he knew his beloved cats would always be there, waiting to greet him and to receive the tender care he loved to offer them. He will be sadly missed by his wife and partner for 57 years, Eugenia; his daughters, Irka (Vasyl') and Diana (Willy); his grandchildren, Andrij, Adrian and Nicholas; his family here in Canada and in Ukraine, Murchyk and his many friends and all his north end neighbours. Panakhyda, will be sung at 7:00 p.m. Friday, December 17 at Sts. Vladimir and Olga Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral, 115 MacGregor St. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at 9:00 a.m. Saturday, December 18 also at the Cathedral with Rev. M. Kouts officiating. Following the service interment will be at the Glen Eden Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Shevchenko Foundation (456 Main St., R3B 1B6), which actively supports Ukrainian Canadian culture and the arts or another charity of your choice. Vichnaya Pamyat! KORBAN FUNERAL CHAPEL 956-2193

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 17, 2004