Sunday, January 22, 2023
Here is the Eulogy read at the Funeral Service.
Walter was a wonderful husband, dad, grandfather and friend. He was our rudder and our anchor. He provided stability and a smooth life for all of us. We always felt we had a comfortable home to come to and whether we were experiencing turbulence or cruising along, we could always count on him being there for us. He led by example and showed us that hard work, being generous with your time and abilities, being responsible and reliable, caring for people and being a good listener and friend were all good ways to live. He was humble and appreciative of everyone and would do anything to help out others in the family without question or expectation of anything in return. He simply did what he felt needed to be done.
Dad and mom are people of faith and hold a healthy connection to their Ukrainian roots. They raised their family in a Ukrainian Catholic environment and were solid contributors to the church and the brethren. They involved their children in many of the church and Ukrainian activities. They were involved in the church choir, being an altar boy, catechism classes and youth groups as well as some Ukrainian language classes and dancing. Michael went to Ukrainian School on Saturdays with Walter where they challenged each other to learn the Ukrainian Cyrillic Alphabet. It was a success, today Michael can read but not understand anything written in Ukrainian. Walter was very involved in the church, the brotherhood and Knights of Columbus and was knighted as a “Sir”. He was very instrumental in the development of the St. Michael’s Villa, a senior retirement home.
Walter was a genuinely happy person who had a zest for life. He never thought or dwelled on the past or his limits in life, rather he did what he could do to make the most at each stage. He often talked about playing football as a teenager where the guys nicknamed him “Dobler” after the Quarterback for the Blue Bombers. He really enjoyed curling where he was the skip well into his 80’s and he took the blame for any losses the team had (and it seemed there were many). He also golfed into his 80’s, where he still beat the family members every time, but you would never know it and he always complemented our long drives, regardless of where they landed. He took up the guitar in his 80’s and even played some tennis, pickleball and anything where he could keep involved with family and friends. He loved to play catch, bocce ball, or card games with the family and would always build a fire in the yard and everyone would come out to be with him.
Dad had a great smile, and we were treated to it often right up to his last day. He was full of love but definitely not a hugger and if you tried one, it would be awkward. He would shake hands and give a little extra squeeze with a smirk and twinkle in his eye. We’ll always cherish that twinkling eye and smile.
In the last few years, Dad planted and cared for a sunflower that grew well above his fence. He took great pride and interest in this amazing, beautiful plant that would grow so tall reaching for the sun, provided beauty and a source of life for insects and birds and then eventually withered and died off as winter approached. He appreciated the joy that the plant provided during its short life and shared it with others so they could enjoy it too. Walter nurtured and loved his family, friends and community in every small and large way, much like he loved his sunflower.
To conclude this eulogy, I know Walter appreciated his time with all of us and he would hope we do the same. In preparation for this day, he provided us with the following poem;
“My life on earth is truly past, I loved you all to the very last, weep not for me but courage take and love one another for my sake”
