Obituary of ANASTASIA PAWLOWSKY

ANASTASIA PAWLOWSKY

1928 – 2018

Peacefully on November 30, 2018, Anastasia passed away after a lengthy illness.

She will be lovingly remembered by son Myron, daughter-in-law Susan Boulter, grandchildren Alexander and Adriana Pawlowsky, sisters Anna Gembarsky and Olga Klopick (Walter), nephews Christian Klopick (Miranda) (children Brianna, Nicholas and Sophie), Stephan Gembarsky (Wanda), Michael Gembarsky and Bohdan Gembarsky, and son-in-law Boris Jacenkiw. She was predeceased by husband Peter, daughter Alexandra, sister Mary, parents Ivan and Maria Smerechuk, brother-in-law Mychajlo Gembarsky and nephew Zenon Klopick.

Anastasia was born in the village of Bystrytsia, in the lovely Carpathian Mountains of her native Western Ukraine. She demonstrated her love for her homeland by risking her life as a courier for the Ukrainian Insurgent Army during WWII. The advance of the Red Army forced her family to leave their home, first to a displaced persons’ camp in Austria, and later to Canada in 1949. In Austria, she met and married Peter Pawlowsky. They were proud to raise their children in a free Canada, where hard work could be rewarded.

Anastasia’s loves were family, her faith, and her Ukrainian language and culture. Her home was warm and welcoming, not only for her immediate family, but also for her nephews and eventually her grandchildren. Her homemade birthday cakes are remembered fondly to this day. She was involved in community organizations such as the League for Ukraine, the Ukrainian Canadian Institute Prosvita, and the Ukrainian Youth Association, and was a long-time parishioner of Sts. Vladimir & Olga Cathedral.  She instilled in her children and grandchildren a love of their Ukrainian language and heritage, as well as an appreciation for the value of education.

Panakhyda (prayers) will be sung on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 7:00 p.m. at Cropo Funeral Chapel, 1442 Main St., Winnipeg. Funeral divine liturgy will be on Monday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Vladimir & Olga, 115 McGregor St., Winnipeg, with Rt. Rev. Msgr. Mitrat Michael Buyachok officiating. After the luncheon, interment will take place at All Saints Cemetery.   

The family thanks Dr. J. Potter and the staff at Seven Oaks Hospital for their care of Anastasia during her final weeks, and Fr. I. Dziadyk, and Orysia Gorski, for their many visits in recent years. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Metropolitan Cathedral of Sts. Vladimir & Olga, the Ukrainian Canadian Institute Prosvita, or to a charity of one’s choice.

VICHNAYA PAM’YAT