Obituary
Ron Yaskiw
1940 – 2021
Ronald John Yaskiw passed peacefully at the Swan Valley Hospital on January 5, 2021 at the age of 80. He is survived by his wife of fifty-two years Patricia and daughter Susan. He is also survived by his brother Bob Yaskiw and his wife Lynne from Comox Valley, British Columbia; and sister in-law Colleen Yaskiw from Strathmore Alberta. My dad also leaves to mourn his nephews and nieces, Stella, Gregory, Nolan, Faren, Steven and Kelly Yaskiw; and great niece and nephew Sadie and Braden Yaskiw. Ron is predeceased by his parents Harry and Mary Yaskiw, brothers Irv and Jerry; and niece Sally.
My dad was born in Rossburn, Manitoba on November 2, 1940. He grew up on the family farm with his parents and brothers. He lived in Swan River and worked at the Swan Valley Co-op before retiring in the year 2000. He remained a very active part of the family farm operation well past the time his parents retired. My dad was a member of the Knights of Columbus and a parishioner of the All Saints Ukrainian Catholic Church in Swan River and the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rossburn.
Farming and the community of Rossburn was part of my dad’s fabric even though he lived in Swan River. He enjoyed the rituals involved preparing the land in the spring for seeding and harvesting wheat in the fall. He was generous with is time and did not hesitate to help others by sharing his knowledge, tool or gadget as needed. His pride hobbies were to maintain the yard at home, cutting grass and snow blowing out the driveway. He also took great pleasure in hanging Christmas lights and putting up decorations outside. He spent countless hours in his garage sourcing parts, constructing and modifying things to ensure the results showed that all he fixed worked just a bit better then when he first picked them up. My dad could not throw out a thing in his garage in case he needed parts from one tool to repair another and he had multiples of the same tools in case one broke or was mysteriously misplaced. My dad also enjoyed watching the activities, families and teams that used the Legion Park for sporting events, and snow sliding down the hill across the street. He loved sitting outside in the summer and saying hello to all that walked or biked by.
My dad loved Ukrainian traditions and music. He was very proud of his Ukrainian heritage and family history. My mom and I would cringe when he came home several times with one more Micky and Bunny (Ukrainian singers) album to add to his collection. His Saturday past time was listing to the Zababa radio broadcast followed by an evening with the Yorkton GX94. I hope our neighbours came to enjoy this music in the summer since the music wafted out of the open garage doors for everyone to hear.
My dad loved to travel by car, and he was fortunate to be at both Canadian coasts several times. My mom and my dad also ventured to the United States to see some of his favourite country singers at the Grand Old Opry. Our memory banks are full of these great experiences, laughter and getting lost along the way. Sometimes it was hard to convince my dad that part of the fun of travel was the journey and not the final destination. My dad was always ready to come back home to the open spaces, the prairie sky and the view of the stars on clear crisp nights.
The 1904 St. Peter and St. Paul Church is a family treasure. The land the church was built on is land that was donated by my dad’s great grandfather Maxim Yaskiw. My dad loved this little church and the grounds that surrounds it. If you wish, we are humbly asking for a donation to this church be made for upkeep in memory of my dad. The address is St. Peter and St. Paul Church, c/o M. Antonio, Box 12, Rossburn, Manitoba. R0J 1V0.
My dad lived a full rich life in all aspects. He had family, friends, community, faith and no regrets. My mom and I have broken hearts, but we are full of love and peace. We hope that you have fond memories of my dad as well with the time you spent with him and our family.
The funeral service will be held at the Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Rossburn, Manitoba
A link will be posted to join a livestream of Ron’s service on Saturday, March 20, 2021 at 12:45 pm
The following are links for the service.
Facebook.com/rossburn.ugcc
www.youtube.com/channel/UCEI2iiahSlBamdq18MHXe-Qrossburnugcc.ca (will also have the linked icons on the top of the page to the others)
Swan Valley Funeral Services
363 Kelsey Trail, Swan River, Manitoba
204-734-5775 www.swanvalleyfuneralservices.com
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ronald John Yaskiw, please visit our floral store.
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Ronald John Yaskiw November 2 1940 January 5 2021 (age 80)..
Death notice for the town of: Swan-River, Province: Manitoba