Obituary of William Ivanochko

IVANOCHKO - William (Vasyl) passed away on July 14th at the Yorkton and District Nursing Home at the age of 96 years. Bill was born near Homefield, north of Goodeve, SK on February 2, 1915, a few months after his parents arrived from present-day Ukraine. He attended Smokeside and Beaverhills Schools in that area. During the 1930s he worked for farmers in the Nokomis district. One of them, Bertie Bell, influenced his political views, which led to his active support of the CCF/NDP. The support he experienced from the Stoltz family influenced his later farming and family life. In 1937 he purchased a farm in the Hard Rock district, north of Hubbard, where his family lived and worked until his retirement in 1981. In 1943 he and Edna Elizabeth Decker, whose family lived on the adjoining homestead, married in the United Church, Hubbard. They raised their five children (Bob, Dave, John, Dick, Kathy) on their farm, supplied help always to relatives and friends and welcomed all, with food and opportunity for much talk about the topics of concern. Bill and Edna retired in 1981, in Yorkton due to health issues. Bill's interests in farming and in ongoing developments lasted throughout his life and into his 90s he would enjoy a drive around his home area to see how seeding, growing and harvesting were progressing, what was being built, what was changing. His tremendous energy took him also to other activities - to help his friend John Propp at Propp's Foodateria until John's retirement, and to deliver and pick up cars for Thoens around the province until 2001, by which time it was necessary for him to not renew his licence. Bill was a hard worker but also a dreamer. He told stories of his life always. While a bachelor and to occupy time when he was not engaged in hard physical labour, he knit socks and mitts for his family and learned to play the fiddle for socials at neighbours' farms. His priorities changed during elections, when even during seeding time, he would visit his neighbours to engage in discussions of socialism. After Edna's death in 1988, Bill moved to a Yorkton apartment until 2002, when he moved to Regina to live with his son's family. Within the year, however, he wanted to return to his home area of Yorkton, to familiar places, and to be able to visit Edna's gravesite. He enjoyed a few relaxing years in the Queen Elizabeth II complex until he required more care at which time he moved to the Yorkton and District Nursing Home. Predeceased by his parents, Dmytro and Anastasia Ivanochko, his wife Edna Elizabeth and her parents Margaret and Adolf Decker, his brothers Nick and Mike, and sister Anne. Bill is survived by his brothers: Alex (Phyllis) Ivan of Lindsay, Ontario, and Sam (Phyllis) of Saskatoon; his sister, Mary MacRae of Toronto; his sons: Bob (Elizabeth), David (Sheila), John (Nicole), Dick (Gloria) and daughter Kathy (Marvin) Balysky; 19 grandchildren (Karen, Tara, Peter, Kelly, Terri, Christopher, Hilary, Brett, Chelsey, Justin, Lucas, Gerald, Clifford, John, Christal Ivanochko and Michael, David, Matthew and Daniel Balysky); 9 great grandchildren (Miranda, Brendan, Ashley, Olivia, Margaret, Kassandra, Jayden Ivanochko; Louise Keeling; Jack Apostle); as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and his many other relatives and friends. Service Information Tuesday, July 19th, 2011 11:00am, Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre Interment Details Yorkton Memorial Gardens