Obituary of Lillian Arvay

ARVAY - The family of Lillian Arvay (Styrvoky ) of Yorkton Sask, sadly announce her passing on Tuesday February 6, 2024. Lillian was 96 years of age.

Lillian was born on December 26, 1927 in Grove Park near Esterhazy Sask, to parents James and Antoinette (Teeny )  Styrvoky. Lillian was the fifth of 10 children, she had 5 brothers-Joseph , Stanley, Arthur, Harry , Ernie and she had 4 sisters – Agnes, Margaret, Clara and Dorothy.

Lillian attended school in Grove Park until grade eight and then helped out on the family farm. She loved horses and was quite a prankster sometimes tying calves tails together and enjoying the commotion caused. Lillian left home at age 16 and worked as a housekeeper before leaving with a friend for Regina at age eighteen to work in the big city. She returned to Esterhazy and worked at a restaurant where she met her future husband Rudy Arvay. They were married on  February 3, 1954 and remained in Esterhazy a short time before moving to Yorkton Sask. where she worked as a janitor for a local photographer .  

Rudy and Lillian raised 10 children at 324 Betts ave. in Yorkton.  Lillian loved her flowers and kept busy in the summer with a large garden which she started with her  bedding plants in the house ( especially tomato and cabbage plants ) every spring the window sills were full of these bedding plants. She was also kept busy baking several loaves of bread every 3 days for her family, and when the garden came in, she kept busy doing a lot of canning.

Lillian was predeceased by her parents, her husband Rudy, her siblings Joe, Stanley, Arthur, Harry, Agnes, Margaret, Clara and Dorothy, her son Ivan, grandsons Dustin Arvay, Scott Coulter and great grandson Christian Arvay.

Her memory is cherished by her one surviving brother Ernie, her children Valerie (Terry), Greg (Shelley), Ken (Grace), Mabel (John), Emil (Janice), Barbara (Barry), Wayne (Gerri), Gloria, and Alonzo (Lorraine).

Her grandchildren James (Natalie), Kristy (Mike), Austin (Nicole), Cole (Faye), Dylan (Nicole), Kendra (Trey), Melissa (Phil), Ryan (Justina), Tyson, Jeremy (Brittney), Cory (Carissa), Misty (Craig), Chad (Diana), Chantel (Clay), Christine (Kirk) Linton, Mike, Mitch (Brooklyn), and Mercedes.

Great grandchildren Jayden, Julia, Joseph, Joshua, Ryann, Ryker, Dausyn, Ava, Liam, Logan, Sage, Braxton, Jace, Aubree, Shayna, Mikayla, Raelyn, Lily, Kale, Kaden, Kenzie, Levadya, Abigail and Jasmine.

The family gratefully appreciate the care given to their mother by the staff and Nurse Practitioner at the Preeceville Hospital.

The Memorial Service was held on February 10, 2024 from the Yorkton Memorial Gardens Family Centre with Doreen Day, Certified Celebrant, officiating. The musical selections were ‘Ashes of Love’, ‘You Are My Sunshine’, ‘Church in the Valley’ and ‘Amazing Grace’. Val Coulter delivered the eulogy. Alonzo Arvay served as the urn-bearer for the interment service at the Yorkton City Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Preeceville Hospital Auxillary as gifts of remembrance. Messages of condolence may be shared at baileysfuneralhome.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Bailey's Funeral Home, Yorkton.