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With great sadness, the family of the late Bill Ochitwa, beloved husband of the late Karen Ochitwa, announce his sudden passing on August 18, 2023, at the age of 62 years.
Bill was born on September 30, 1960, to Bohdan (Ben) and Katie (Bartko) Ochitwa of Canora, SK. Bill grew up in Canora and later a farm in the RM of Good Lake and attended school in Canora. During his school years Bill had adventures with his friends, cousins, and brother Merv, including a trip to Winnipeg in his Trans Am to see his favourite band, AC/DC. After high school, Bill worked in Alberta on oil well testing, surveying, and on the rigs. At the age of 21 Bill met Karen Drozd at a party at the dam, and as she was picking him up off the ground, their eyes met and that was it. After dating for a year, they were engaged and married on January 15, 1983, in Canora. Shortly after they were married, Bill’s daughter Aimee was born on May 3, 1983. Bill and Karen then moved to the farm near Tiny and began building their life together.
During this time, Bill worked for Canora Plumbing and Heating, and as an independent plumbing and heating contractor. Bill attended SIAST Kelsey Campus in Saskatoon to study plumbing and qualified as a Journeyman Plumber and General Gas Contractor in 1990. Bill’s son Shelby was born on June 26, 1992. Bill’s true work passion was farming. He farmed with his dad in the Tiny and Canora area and built the farm up while persevering through the struggles that come with farming. Bill was so proud that his son, Shelby, joined him in full time farming in 2016. Together they added additional land and although Bill wasn’t always sure of Shelby’s ideas at first, he would always admit that Shelby’s expertise improved the farm.
Bill was the life of any party. When he really got going, he could be found turning the music way up, dancing, singing, and playing his favourite instrument, the air guitar. He and Karen hosted a lot of parties over the years and anyone who attended a party with Bill usually left with a good story of his antics. Bill lent a hand to family in renovations, and after a long day of work he still had the energy to have drinks with everyone, which sometimes made the next day of work a little harder.
Bill enjoyed traveling with family and friends. He traveled with Karen to Las Vegas as well as two trips to Mexico. Bill and Karen traveled to Jamaica for their 25th wedding anniversary with David and Dianne Kresak and Dale and Arlene Lozinski. In 2010, Bill and Karen traveled for three weeks to Spain, Portugal, and Morocco with friends. Bill also traveled to Kentucky with his family in 2012. Bill’s beloved wife Karen passed away in 2013. Bill was heartbroken to lose the love of his life but carried on her wish to continue living his life and spend time with family and friends.
Bill continued to travel and fulfilled a lifelong dream in 2017 to travel to Chicago with his son Shelby to see his favourite team, the Blackhawks, play on home ice. Bill always looked forward to his yearly trip to Las Vegas, and traveled with friends to Nashville, Kelowna, Florida, and the Bahamas. In the summers Bill enjoyed camping and fishing with family and friends. Bill always kept everyone entertained and the days and nights were full of laughter.
Bill volunteered his time on the C&D ditch committee, and spent many years involved with the Canora Seed Cleaning Plant. He was elected to the board in 2004 and was elected Vice Chairman in 2006. He was elected as Chairman in 2009 and has served in this role ever since. Working with the board and staff at the plant was important to Bill, and he loved the yearly appreciation lunch, where he could be found cooking wings all day and joking around with the guys.
Bill will be dearly missed by all those who knew and loved him and shared in his life.
Bill was predeceased by his wife, Karen Ochitwa; father-in-law, John Drozd; and his niece Danni McGirr. He is survived by his children, Aimee (Ben) Sipple and Shelby Ochitwa; parents, Ben and Katie Ochitwa; mother-in-law, Olga Drozd; brother, Mervin (Karen) Ochitwa; sisters, Dianne (David) Kresak and Janet (Trevor) Sullivan; brother-in-law, Darrell (Heather) Drozd; sister-in-law, Tamara (Scott) McGirr; nephews: Darren (Sarah) Kresak, Brett Drozd, Logan (Ambria), and Tyler Ochitwa; nieces: Jenelle (Clay) Kresak, Karli Ochitwa, Shanna (Teague) Drozd, Jill and Chantel (Theo) Sullivan, Morgan and Erin McGirr; and his great-nephews, Forrest Kresak and Jack Crocker and great-nieces, Laurel and Eleanora Ochitwa.
Prayers will be held at 7:00 p.m., Monday, August 28, 2023, and the Funeral Service at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 29, 2023, both from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, Canora, SK, with Very Rev. Fr. Taras Makowsky officiating. Interment will follow in the Canora Cemetery, Canora, SK. Those wishing to make expressions of sympathy may make donations to the Canora Hospital Auxiliary or to the Canora Tourism Fundraising Committee, as tokens of remembrance, in memory of Bill Ochitwa.
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2023
Death notice for the town of: Canora, Province: Saskatchewan
death notice Bill Ochitwa 2023
obituaries notice Bill Ochitwa 2023
We offer our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Bill Ochitwa 2023 and hope that their memory may be a source of comfort during this difficult time. Your thoughts and kind words are greatly appreciated.
