Obituary for Nicholas « Nick » Sadiwnyk
Sadiwnyk, Nicholas
April 9, 1922-April 5, 2018
It is with great sadness that we share the news our beloved husband, father and grandfather passed away on April 5, 2018 after a short battle with cancer. He lived a very full and productive life up until almost the age of 96.
Nicholas Sadiwnyk was born on April 9, 1922 in a small farming village in Western Ukraine, Liski. Nick was one of 4 children. It was here where he developed an understanding of farming and agriculture. At the age of 16, during the onset of WWII, Nick fled to Poland where he intended to complete his education. Unfortunately German Authorities thwarted his plans and took him to work in the German Labor camps where he remained until the end of the war – 1945. From Germany, Nick made his way to Belgium where he found work in the Belgium coal mines. Five years later, in 1950, through the aid of a friend and Red Cross, Nick made his way to Canada, arriving in Halifax where Nick was ready to begin the next chapter of his life.
Meeting his friend, he was able to make connections with a farmer in Northern Alberta just south of the Alaskan border. Here he was hired to work for 2 years clearing forests for agricultural farming. After his contract was completed, Nick found work in Vancouver building furniture and eventually when work ran out, he made his way to Calgary. In between jobs, Nick decided to take various courses at SAIT to upgrade his education, one of them being accounting. At SAIT he acquired building certification which eventually helped him get employment as a carpenter during the housing boom. When the boom ended, Nick found work at the Canadian Pacific Railway where he remained for almost 30 years. He retired at the age of 62.
In 1962 Nick was fortunate to meet Anna Swiatylo and shortly after in July of 1963 they wed. In 1965 they welcomed their first child Kathy to the family and then in 1968 their son George. Nick was a loving husband, father and grandfather placing family first. He loved his children and dedicated much time and energy to his grandchildren of whom he was very proud of. Nick was musically inclined and played a variety of instruments including the mandolin and banjo. He had a beautiful tenor voice and spoke many languages. His organizational skills were used in putting on various community dramas and plays. Nick was very much a Ukrainian patriot and was proud to be a Ukrainian-Canadian. Even though his heart burned to see his homeland free, Nick was always very grateful to live in his new home and the opportunities Canada provided. Nick was a very active member of SUM where he invested much of his time and energy. His legacy in the Ukrainian Youth Association of Calgary is visible to this day. Nick will always be remembered as a deeply spiritual family man and a leader in his community. He spent many of his younger years helping build Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church.
One of Nick’s qualities was his sense of humor. He always liked to joke and laugh and knew how to diffuse a difficult situation by joking. He was always welcoming new immigrants into the community, helping them wherever and however he could.
Nick is survived by his wife Anna of 54 years, daughter Kathy (Ihor Bohdan), son George (Mellissa Derkach) and grandchildren Roxolana, Marko and Victoria; Arianna, Christian, Zachary, Gabriella. He was predeceased by his parents Ilko and Paraskevia, brother Danylo, sisters Kateryna and Sofia. He is survived by many relatives in Ukraine.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in memory of Nicholas Sadiwnyk to any of the following organizations : Taras Shevchenko Foundation www.shevchenkofoundation.com, Ukrainian Youth Association www.cym.org.ca, Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv @ www.ucef.ca. Tax receipts will be issued for donations over $20.00.
Prayers will be held at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church (704-6th Street NE) on Friday, April 13, 2018 at 7:00 pm. Divine Liturgy will be served at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church (704-6th Street NE) on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 10:00 am. Graveside Service to follow at Queen’s Park Cemetery. To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Nick, please visit www.choicememorial.com.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Nicholas Nick Sadiwnyk 1922 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: CALGARY, Province: Alberta
