Obituary of James Orest Stinka

Jim was born on August 25, 1938, on the family farm south of Buchanan, Saskatchewan, where he lived almost his entire life. Jim is the sixth of twelve children of John and Polly (Hupka) Stinka. In his youth, he attended Vasloutz School and excelled at sports, particularly hockey. After his mother passed away, he left school to farm with his father, later buying his own land and taking over the family farm. In 1971, he married Dianne Delday, the love of his life. Together, they farmed and raised two daughters, Natashia and Wendy. Jim worked very hard and was a successful grain and cattle farmer until selling the farm in 2012. In retirement, Jim transitioned from caring for cattle to feeding an assortment of birds; from seeding wheat fields to carefully tending to the garden. Jim enjoyed being outdoors in nature, be it watching baby calves play, having a wiener roast with his family, picking mushrooms in his tried-and-true spots, or taking scenic drives in the country. He loved to talk politics and visiting with friends, he obsessed about the weather, and he held faith that he might someday celebrate a Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup victory with his wife and children. But most of all, he was proudest of his family to which he was devoted, and the highlight of his life was having grandchildren and the time to spend with them. Jim is survived by his wife Dianne; daughters Natashia Stinka and Wendy (Trevor) Shabatoski; grandchildren Ethan, Grace and Nathaniel Shabatoski; and siblings George (Maxine) Stinka, Eileen (Mervin) Diak, Martin (Carolyn) Stinka, Veronica (Jim) Burford and Shirley (Duncan) McMillan. He is predeceased by his parents John and Polly; his parents-in-law David and Grace Delday; and siblings, Lillian (Domain) Skoretz, Mary Stinka, Hannah (Tom) Tratch, Doris Stinka, Victoria (Doug) Lynch and Wasyl Stinka. Service Information Thursday, October 18th, 2018 7:00pm, Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre Friday, October 19th, 2018 10:00am, Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre Interment Details St. Nicholas Ukrainian Orthodox Cemetery - Drobot District