Obituary of Helen Kanciruk

The family of Helen Kanciruk (nee Slywka), wife of the late Steve Kanciruk, is sad to announce that she quietly and peacefully passed away at the William Booth Grace Hospice in Regina on Thursday, January 4th 2018 at the age of 86 years. She was born on February 22, 1931, to Peter and Mary Slywka on the family farm south of Kelliher, Saskatchewan. The family later moved ten miles south to the RM of Lipton, where she attended Herzel School until the 8th grade. From the age of 15, she stayed home to help out on the family farm. Helen attended many of the local dances and picnics, and it was at a softball game where she met her future husband, Steve. Though he tagged her out at second base, they were inseparable for 59 years. They were married at the Sacred Heart Church in Ituna, Saskatchewan, on October 26, 1950. They lived on the farm in the Tullymet RM until 1990 when they moved to Ituna. Helen was an avid gardener, a great cook and handy with a sewing machine. She was a hard worker and performed many tasks on the family farm. In the Tullymet district, she was involved in various community activities. She was also a member and served a term as president of Sacred Heart Church UCWL. Additionally, she cooked for the occasional wedding and in later years helped make perogies at the church hall on a weekly basis. Curling became a favoured past-time in the winter months for many years, where she not only played but also cooked for the bonspiels. Like many people in Saskatchewan, Helen followed the Roughriders, watching games on the TV whenever possible. She was a volunteer and supporter of her children's' extra-curricular activities and could always be counted on to be there cheering them on. Helen and Steve raised seven children (three deceased as infants), Donna, Barbara and Baby. Helen is predeceased by her husband Steve, her parents Peter and Mary (Wusowych), sisters Annie, Olga, and Mary, sister-in-law Pearl, brothers Nick, John, Fred, Walter, and Paul (deceased infant), and brothers-in-law Carl Pivovar, Metro Mandziak, and John Klisowsky. Helen leaves to mourn her daughters Christine (Leo and Tianna) Uchacz; Brenda (Massimo and Talia) Santarossa; sons David (Jeanniene, Martina, Kirt and Arya van der Woude, and Andrew) and Wesley (Tammy, Michael, Marisha, Deidre and Tyson, Kyla, Keastyn, Brynnlee & Miah). She is further survived by sisters Pauline Chrapchynski and Julie (Larry Housch), her brother Peter (Alma) Slywka, and sisters-in-law Steffie Slywka and Rose Slywka, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Prayers were held on Wednesday evening, January 10th, and the Requiem Divine Liturgy was celebrated on Thursday morning, January 11th 2018, all from Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Ituna with Rev. Fr. Ray Lukie C.Ss.R as Celebrant. The crossbearer was Martina van der Woudd, the Epistle-reader was Talia Santarossa. The interment took place in the Parish Cemetery with David, Wesley, Andrew & Michael Kanciruk, and Christine Uchacz and Brenda Santarossa serving as the casketbearers. Service Information Wednesday, January 10th, 2018 7:00pm, Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church Thursday, January 11th, 2018 10:30am, Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church Interment Details Sacred Heart Parish Cemetery