Obituary of William Pidzamecky

PIDZAMECKY, William (Wasyl; "Bill") - Passed away peacefully in his 89th year on Monday morning July 13, 2009 at Wesburn Manor, Etobicoke with his loving wife of 57 years, Olga, at his side. Beloved father of Katherine (Walter), Robert (Angelina), Christina (Rocco), Leon (Nancy) and Taras (Ulana). Dear grandfather of Paul and Hanya Kohut, Nicholas (Michelle) and Andrea Carella, and William (Wasyl), Sophia and Alexander Pidzamecky. Survived by his younger brother Karl and sister-in-law Mary and their family, and by his first cousins Morris (Sue) and Oryst (Marika) Pidzamecky of Sudbury and Guelph respectively, and their families, as well as by family in his native Ukraine. Predeceased by his first wife Anne Chmara in Sudbury in 1949, and parents Franko (d. 1972) and Kateryna (nee Srajchuk; d. 2008). Wasyl was born in the village of Potochyska, Ivano Frankivsk Oblast on May 26, 1921 and brought to Sudbury, Ontario in 1935 together with his mother and brother by his father who had come to Canada in 1926. Upon arriving in Sudbury, Wasyl immediately joined the ranks of the Ukrainian National Youth Federation of Canada. One of his first jobs was delivery boy for the Sudbury Ukrainian Co-op of which he would later become manager. During World War II he was a miner with INCO, and later moved to Thorold where he worked until retirement at Beaver Board. Together with Olga they were proprietors of Bowlaway Restaurant in Thorold. Life long member of the Ukrainian National Federation, and past president of its St. Catharines Branch. Wasyl was also the past director of Ukrainian (St. Catharines) Credit Union Limited. Before moving to Toronto in 2007 due to declining health, Wasyl was a member of Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Catharines where the family moved in 1970, and prior to that of St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church in Thorold . Mr. Pidzamecky is resting at the GEORGE DARTE FUNERAL CHAPEL, 585 Carlton St. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, July 15 from 7 - 9 p.m. and on Thursday, July 16 from 2-4 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m. with Panachyda Thursday evening at 7:30 pm. Divine Liturgy will be celebrated at Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church, 14 Rolls Ave., Friday, July 17, 2009 at 10 a.m. with interment to follow at Victoria Lawn Cemetery. The family wishes to express its sincere thanks to Bill's caregivers at Highbourne Lifecare and Wesburn Manor, Rev. Father Bohdan Slipyj for his pastoral care, his one-time neighbours near Hollywood and Vine, his former physician Dr. Wayne Gruber for saving his life five years ago, and to his specialist Dr. Marc Pope of Mississauga. In lieu of flowers, donations to the UNF Foundation Youth Leadership Development Fund, Sts. Cyril and Methodius Ukrainian Catholic Church Renovation Fund, St. Joseph's Ukrainian Catholic Church Building Fund or the Canadian Diabetes Association would be greatly appreciated by the family. Memory Eternal! Vichnaya Yomu Pamiat!