Obituary of MARY HNITECKY

Mary Hnitecky 1928-2020 Our beloved mother, bapcia/baba, and friend, Mary Hnitecky, passed away peacefully while surrounded by family, on April 15, 2020, at Holy Family Home, at the age of 92. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughters Olga (Gary), Rose (Lawrence), Zena, Ruby (Gavin)and her grandchildren Andrew (Jaime), Steven (Shayna), Sonia and Daniel, great grandson Lincoln, her brothers Nick (Maria) and Steve in Kelowna, and family and friends around the world. Mom was predeceased by her husband of 58 years, John, her infant daughter, Valerie, her parents and 2 brothers. Mom was born in Ukraine on February 22, 1928. At a young age of 5, she survived the Holodomor (famine) from 1932-1933 imposed by the Stalin regime. In 1939, at the outbreak of the Second World War, mom was taken with her family from Ukraine and forced to work in German labour camps. In 1945, at the war’s end, she and her family were sent to a labour turned refugee camp. There she met our father, John, and in 1948 they were married. In 1949 with a renewed hope for a better life in Canada, they accepted the Canadian government’s two- year contract to work on a sugar beet farm in Portage La Prairie. In 1951, they settled in Charleswood, a place they grew to love so much. While Dad worked at CN, our mother was home caring for her children, tending farm animals, growing a large garden, preserving its yield by canning and much more. She did all of this with gentleness and a feisty spirit. While life in Canada required hard work, our mother was thankful to God for her new country and the opportunities it provided. As a Holodomor survivor, the famine left an indelible scar. Mom turned that scar into a love of cooking and gracious hospitality. Since she had known extreme hunger, she ensured that no one would leave her home hungry or without some food to take home. Mom was kind, generous and often put others’ needs first. She devoted her life to her family and was blessed with 4 grandchildren and 1 great grandson. She loved family dinners or any reason to gather together as a family. Our mother’s life was characterized by a strong work ethic, resourcefulness, generosity, faith in God and love for her family and Canada. Mom, we love you and thank you for everything you did for us. The family would like to extend a sincere thank you for the loving and compassionate care at Holy Family, where our mother resided during the last few months. A private funeral service officiated by Rev. Fr. Gene Maximiuk was held on Friday, April 24, followed by internment at Glen Eden. A memorial service will be held at a later date. Flowers are gratefully declined but if friends desire, donations in our mother’s memory may be made to the Ukrainian Orthodox Metropolitan Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, 1175 Main Street, Winnipeg, R2W 3S4. Condolences may be sent to the Cropo website at www.crop.com VICHNAYA PAMYAT