At the age of 88 years, John Wiwchar passed away at the Canora Hospital on September 6, 2015. John was born on July 4, 1927 at Holdfast, SK to Peter and Mary (Semchuk) Wiwchar. His family moved from Holdfast to the Tiny district to farm. John attended Badgerdale School and received his Grade 9 education prior to working various jobs which included farming for neighbours in the area.
Throughout the next ten years of his life, John spent his time picking stones, roots, and working the thrashing machines. In the following two years, John gained employment in Yorkton at Northern Motors and Lutcher’s Sporting Goods Store. On June 8, 1952, he was unit-ed in marriage to Vicky Petryshen of Rama and they settled and made Canora their home.
Together they were blessed with two sons, Myles and Sheldon. Over the next several years, John held miscellaneous positions in the area including working for Gerald Yaholitsky of Canora. Eventually, John bought a tractor and worked with the crew that built the highway from Canora to Stenen. He enjoyed driving and worked for one year driving truck for Yorkton 7-UP as well as twelve years for the Canora Creamery.
After the creamery relocated to Yorkton, John resid-ed and worked in Hudson Bay at MacMillan Bloedel, where he cut trees and worked in the mill. Unfortunately, while there, he suffered from injuries acquired from a fall at work. He then con-tinued to farm in the Tiny district and although he most enjoyed grain farming, he proudly attempted many registered varieties of grain. To supplement his income, John also worked with the fu-neral homes in Canora, delivered the Leader Post and worked in the Yorkton Meat Plant.
Never shy of hard work, John was proud of his willingness to help others. During the Mikado Eleva-tor fire, John worked tirelessly and moved 85,000 bushels of grain. John enjoyed socializing and loved dancing and playing the violin. He also had a passion for the outdoors and was a faithful hunter, fisherman and trapper. Every year he hunted deer, moose and elk and trapped foxes, coyotes, muskrats, mink and weasels and sold the hides.
He will be remembered by the many people he met throughout the years and will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved him. John was predeceased by his parents, Peter and Mary Wiwchar; his wife, Vicky; sisters, Helen and Annie; brother, Paul; and nephew, Gary Makohoniuk. He is survived by his sons, Myles of Canora and Sheldon of Prince Albert; granddaughter, Anika; brother-in-law, Bill Makoho-niuk; nephew, Leslie (Irma) Makohoniuk; as well as cousins, friends and extended family members. The Prayer Service was held on Thursday, September 10, 2015, at 7:00 p.m. from the Chapel of Leson’s Funeral Home.
Funeral Liturgy was celebrat-ed on Friday, September 11, 2015, at 10:00 a.m. from Sts. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic Church, Canora, with Very Rev. Fr. Joakim Rac, as Celebrant. Rite of Committal followed in the Ca-nora Cemetery. Those wishing to make expressions of sympa-thy may make donations to the Canadian Diabetes Association, in memory of John Wiwchar. Family and friends unable to attend are invited to sign an on-line guest book for John at www.le-sonsfuneralhome.ca. Arrangements were entrusted to LESON’S FUNERAL HOME, Canora.
