John Tataryn

With great sadness, the family of the late John Tataryn, beloved husband of the late Mary Tataryn, announce his passing at the Canora Gateway Lodge on February 4, 2022, at the age of 97 years.John was born on February 23, 1924, on the family homestead in the Poelcapelle-Swan Plain District, SK, to Mike and Sophie (Kurytniuk) Tataryn. He attended school until the age of fifteen years and then worked for Evachewski’s on the farm south of Hyas, SK, and at the sawmills in the Swan Plain District, SK. He also worked at the mine in Flin Flon, MB, for a short time, then returned to work at Larson’s Sawmill.One memorable event in his life was when his parents bought him a violin. With a couple friends, John would play for country dances, charging $0.50 each and sometimes walking five to seven miles to the dances.On November 20, 1945, John married Mary Werboweski, the eldest daughter of Mike and Annie Werboweski. At that time, he took over his father’s farm. The first year of farming was with horses. Soon after, he was able to buy a tractor as he continued mixed farming operations. In addition to farming, John worked for Simpson Timber. He was also a councillor with the RM of Livingston and served on the committees of the Swan Plain Hall and the Swan Plain History Book. In his spare time, he could be found watching the Blue Jays baseball on TV.Above all, John loved being in the bush and the outdoors. He enjoyed hunting with his family, cousins, and friends. He spent the winter months trapping, selling furs, and ice fishing. He also enjoyed singing in the Orthodox Church Choir in Swan Plain and later in Canora as well. In March 1994, John and Mary lost their home to a fire and they moved to Canora, SK. John remained in Canora until 2016, when he relocated to the Preeceville Personal Care Home and eventually Norquay Health Centre – Long Term Care, prior to becoming a resident of the Canora Gateway Lodge in 2020. He will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved him.John was predeceased by his parents, Mike and Sophie; his wife, Mary; son, Michael; sister, Mary Keller; parents-in-law, Mike and Annie Werboweski; and brothers-in-law, Ted Keller, Mike Wakshinski, Bill Werboweski, Peter Werboweski, and Ernie (Marlene) Werboweski.He is survived by his children: Steve (Carole) Tataryn, Cynthia (Ernie) Gazdewich, and Kelvin (Anjie) Tataryn; daughter-in-law, Sylvia (Murray) Urbshott; five grandchildren: Michelle (Allan) Eckhart, Jeff (Gina) Tataryn, Amanda (Aaron) McQuaid, and Brittney and Delaney Tataryn; seven great-grandchildren: Madeline, Maren, Sarah, Amy, Zoe, Daxton, and Caya; his brother, Nick (Mary) Tataryn; sisters, Olga Wahshenski and Leona Osowetski; and his sisters-in-law, Evelyn (Victor) Yacyshyn, Pauline Bear, and Minnie (Bill) Rudnisky; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends.In John’s honour, a Public Visitation was held from 7:00–8:00 p.m., Tuesday, February 8, 2022, and the Funeral Service continued at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 9, 2022, both from the Chapel of Leson’s Funeral Home, Canora, SK, with Rev. Fr. Petro Tsenov officiating. Interment followed in the Canora Cemetery. Those wishing to make expressions of sympathy may make donations to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity, Canora, SK, or to the Canora Gateway Lodge Auxiliary, as tokens of remembrance, in memory of John Tataryn.