1928-2024
Our beloved, gentle and talented mother, passed on January 9th, a few months short of her 96th birthday, in Lachine, Quebec.
She was born in Ukraine, in the Carpathian Mts. by the Chornyi Cheremosh River, in the tiny village of Krivorivnya. She was, a natural Pisces that never learned to swim, and nearly drowned numerous times on that river nearby.
Olga (Olha) was born to a teacher, who sadly died giving birth to her only child, and whose father ended his life almost immediately in his grief. A surviving school report card « livret personal » from a Rumanian primary school (1937-8), shows all subjects with 10/10
Olha was adopted by her aunt and uncle, and immigrated to Freiberg, Germany, living on Tivoli street.#35.
Olha excelled in high school academics, in Germany, especially in languages and math. She survived the WW2 bombardment of Freiberg, and left Germany for Canada, in 1948 with a passport issued by the Military Government of Germany (French Zone) in Baden Baden. She travelled from Hamburg by ship to Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving on July 6th 1948. Olha was sponsored by a program in Canada for young women in the displaced persons camps, of post-WW2 Europe.
Her first employer, was a Mme. J.E. Lefebvre, on Duquette St. in Notre Dame de Grace where she worked as a domestique. Her next place of employment was for the McGregor family (home of the President of Trans Canada Airlines) on Gray Ave., in Westmount, She lived there until she married, Alec Shtychno, also from Ukraine, on July 16th 1949, at St George’s Ukrainian Orthodox Church, in Lachine.
Olha and Alec had three children, Alexandra, Oxana and Andriy (Marisa Sgro), to whom they instilled a love for their Ukrainian roots and artistic heritage.
Olha was a talented embroiderer, gifted painter of Ukrainian « pysanky » – decorative Easter eggs with demonstrations at The Bay, Eaton’s and Simpson’s. She had a beautiful voice and sang in the church choir, as well as in a Canadian-Ukrainian Touring Ensemble, « Moloda Ukrayina ». Perhaps her most amazing talent, was the gift to learn new languages very quickly, including Rumanian, German, French, and English.
Olha leaves behind many fond souvenirs of her extraordinary life, her three children and two grandchildren, Lucas and Gregory.
Resting at J.J. Cardinal Funeral Home, 560 Bord-du-Lac/ Lakeshore Dr., Dorval, H9S2B3, 514-631-1511. Family will receive condolences on Saturday, January 13 from 7pm- 8pm, and on Sunday, January 14 from 3pm-4pm, followed by a service in the chapel of the funeral home at 4pm.
RÉSIDENCE FUNÉRAIRE J.J. CARDINAL FUNERAL HOME
560, Chemin Bord du Lac, Dorval (Québec) H9S 2B3
Tél. : 514-631-1511 | Téléc. : 514-631-1516 | Courriel : info@jjcardinal.ca
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