William Pasternak

PASTERNAK, William Paul 1919 - 2009 It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our father, William Paul (Bill) Pasternak, on Sunday evening, May 17, 2009. He died peacefully with his children at his side at the Leduc Community Hospital. Bill Pasternak is survived by sons, Anthony (Susan) and John (Barbara); daughters, Nancy (Jack Sprague) and Kathryn and nine grandchildren, Lucy, Matthew and Tom; Dan, Alex, Graham and Meghann, Aidan and Dylan Phipps; by his sister, Mildred Kanelles; brother, Lanny (Mary); nieces and nephew, Donna Stannix, Jeff and Lea Sutherland. He was predeceased by his wife, Barbara Ellen (nee Wright) in 1998; his grandson, Benjamin in 1990; and nephew, Greg Kanelles in 1971. Bill Pasternak was an architect, public servant, community volunteer and life-long advocate of education. He was also a loving father of four children and devoted husband to Barbara for 50 years. Our Dad was born the first of three children to parents, Julia (nee Samila) and Paul John Pasternak at the family home in Mundare, Alberta on August 24, 1919. He attended Mundare schools and graduated from high school in 1936. As a teenager, he played baseball and hockey for the village team in local leagues. By 1938, he enrolled in Normal School at the University of Alberta, did teacher training and then taught grades one through nine in a one-room country schoolhouse until WWII interrupted. After four years in the Royal Canadian Army, stationed at Brandon and Ottawa, where he served as a Staff Sergeant, Dad entered studies in Architecture at University of Manitoba. He met our Mom, Barbara Ellen Wright, in Vancouver in 1947 on a blind date and they married in August 1948. Dad and Mom lived in Winnipeg until Dad graduated in 1949, earning the class Gold Medal in Architecture. After a brief stay back in Vancouver at Norwood Park, Dad took a job as an Architect with the oil-booming City of Edmonton. After six years, he went into private practice with the firm of Bell and McCulloch. Then, he found his ideal job with Edmonton Catholic Schools, becoming Properties Superintendent and overseeing the high levels of school construction required for the baby boomer generation. This work took him to retirement in 1984. He continued working as a consultant on architectural projects, including a contract in 1992 when he was 73 years old for the World Bank in Ethiopia, where he advised on maintenance and renovation of university structures throughout the country. In 1954, Dad had joined the original (now Central) Edmonton Lions Club. He worked on numerous community projects, served as President in 1964 and Zone Chairman in 1969. For over ten years in the 70s and 80s, he organized Youth Exchange programs with Japan, Sweden and Germany. Dad also contributed to Lions projects for the growing Seniors population and in the late 70s designed the first Lions Senior Citizens Recreation Centre on 111 Avenue. He remained on the Recreation Centre's Board of Directors until recent years and was involved in fund-raising for their recently completed major facilities expansion. In 1959, he had a brief foray into civic politics as the Ukrainian community's candidate in the Edmonton mayoralty race, finishing third behind James Harper Prowse and winner Elmer Roper. Bill was a devoted parishioner of St. Basil's Ukrainian Catholic Church. Funeral Service will be held on Thursday, May 21 at 11:30 a.m. at Park Memorial Chapel, 9709 - 111 Avenue NW, Edmonton with Basilian Fathers officiating. Cremation will follow. Friends who so wish may make memorial donations directly to the Cross Cancer Institute, 11560 University Avenue, Edmonton, AB T6G 1Z2. To send condolences, visit www.parkmemorial.com Park Memorial Edmonton 780-426-0050 Family Owned Funeral Home, Crematorium, Reception Centre