Claudia Larysa Gardner (Ukrainetz)

Claudia Larysa Gardner (Ukrainetz), of Cochrane, Alberta, passed away on January 1, 2026, at the age of 84 years.

Claudia is survived by her beloved husband of 66 years, Walter Gardner; her children, Brenda Bennett (Brian), Norman Gardner (Yumiko), Chris Gardner (Lynette), and Ramona Casault (Murray); her grandchildren, Dustin, Brandon, Canon, Yuzuki, Koran, Megan, Marina, Dawson, Cassidy, and Peyton; and her great-grandchildren, Graydon, Gavin, Elizabeth, William, Barrett, Westin, and Elias. She is also survived by her sister, Evelyn Walsh, and numerous nephews and nieces. Claudia was predeceased by her brother, Ehor Ukrainetz (Pat), and by her parents, Michael Ukrainetz and Nancy Ukrainetz (Shavchook).

Claudia was born in Radway, Alberta, to Michael and Nancy Ukrainetz. She spent her early childhood in Peace River, Alberta, attending Center Street School, before moving with her parents to Westlock, Alberta, where she completed high school. Peace River, however, remained the place that shaped her most deeply and always felt like home.

Claudia met her husband, Walter, as a small child. They played tag and hide-and-seek together on the workhorse tugboats that docked on the banks of the mighty Peace River following WWII. After high school, Claudia returned to Peace River, where she reconnected with her childhood sweetheart, “Wally,” and they were married in 1959. They began their family in Edmonton, where their first daughter, Brenda, was born on New Year’s Day. Norman and Chris followed, and after the birth of their youngest daughter, Ramona, they chose to return to Peace River to raise their children surrounded by land, seasons, and community.

Claudia dedicated her life to holding together a home. She was a phenomenal cook and a devoted homemaker who took great pride in providing for her family. Embracing her Ukrainian heritage, Claudia carried forward traditions of food, preservation, and hospitality instilled by her parents, beautifully melding them with the hunter-gatherer roots of her husband. Together, Claudia and Walter harvested from the land, including berries, mushrooms, moose, and deer, and Claudia transformed this abundance into nourishing meals that sustained her family through even the harshest northern winters.

She found joy and meaning in both creativity and the natural world. Claudia loved playing the piano, reading, writing, and listening to opera, especially the voice of Luciano Pavarotti. She had a deep appreciation for crafting and folk art, and took great pride in canning and preserving what she grew, gathered, and harvested. 

An avid gardener with a truly magical green thumb, Claudia’s gardens were abundant and life-giving. What she planted, tended, and preserved fed her family and reflected her quiet resilience and deep respect for the land. She also loved foraging, spending time outdoors, and hunting in the autumn alongside her husband and sons, Norman and Chris, seasons marked by shared work, patience, and connection. 

In the final chapter of her life, Claudia and Walter moved to Cochrane, Alberta. She endured her later years with grace and strength. Quiet and gentle by nature, Claudia took great pride in her home and in the life she built through steady devotion, care, and love.

Claudia will be deeply missed by her family and all who knew her. The values she lived by, resourcefulness, creativity, humility, and love, remain woven into the generations she leaves behind.

A private service with immediate family will be held later in 2026.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in support of humanitarian aid for the people of Ukraine: www.caritas.org/ukraine-appeal-22

Arrangements entrusted to the care of Cochrane Country Funeral Home.