William CHOMYN

CHOMYN, William (Bill)
On January 6, 2014, William (Bill) Chomyn passed away.
Bill was born in 1929 in Ukraine. Very shortly thereafter, his family immigrated to Canada. His parents spoke Ukrainian, were illiterate, and they were very vulnerable. He grew up in the depression in abject poverty.
Bill's life was shaped by these early experiences in the country. As the oldest child, he was the family translator and negotiator. Hence he developed strong leadership and organizational skills. Always fearing a return to poverty he was practical, adverse to risk, and frugal, teaching his entire family that it didn't matter how much you made, but how much you saved. Predictably he honed a very strong sense of social justice and was active in progressive politics and causes his entire life. He hated seeing suffering of any kind.
But most of all, Bill loved everyone. He had many close friends whom he visited and who visited him often. He was renowned for his generosity.
Bill was married to Olga (nee Ursulak) and had three children, Darlene, Nadia and Dwayne. Olga and Darlene predeceased him. He had close and regular contact with his children but particularly enjoyed his visits with his grandchildren, Michael and Jeff (aka "Jed") McVey, Lauren, Alanna (aka "Alenna/Elena/etc.") and Caitlin Chomyn and Dana Vinge, making them a meal and discussing the intricacies of mushroom picking or some other topic of interest. They now all know that ideally they should approach a mushroom with the sun at their backs.
There will be no funeral but a memorial conducted in accordance with Bill's wishes will be scheduled at a later time. Always the host, he drew up the guest list, organized the venue, selected the meal, negotiated "a fair price", prepared the music and has a draft eulogy "on file." In lieu of flowers, donations in Bill's name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut, 10985 - 124 Street N.W., Edmonton, AB T5M 0H9 would be appreciated.
To send condolences, visit
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