M. Stefan Werbowyj

Beloved husband of the late Martha Zajac, dearest father of Olga-Talya and the late Dr. Rita Stephania Werbowyj, passed away suddenly at home in his sleep on May 18^th, 2019. Daddy loved working at Johnson’s Wire Weaving (JWI) until his retirement, but he also kept himself busy with work around the house and in Church and with various “hobbies” that gave him pleasure and contributed to community life. Father and mother always took care of and supported their children in all of their undertakings, but made sure that we always also had time for fun together as a family. They encouraged us to get to know the rest of our extended family. Old age brought our Tato many challenges that slowed him down. He replaced the shingles on our roof when he was 85 years old but couldn’t believe that it took him a whole week to do so. When his eyesight worsened it was so very hard but he gave up his driver’s license and his beloved Oldsmobile. He couldn’t see well enough in recent years to do the crossword puzzle in the paper, but he continued to read the daily newspaper as well as he could.

Dad started taking home movies in the 1950s with a second hand camera. He set up a dark room in our basement and developed his own photographs. He always tried to document not only the history of our family but also that of the Ukrainian community in Montreal. Daddy belonged to the Father Jean Scholarship Foundation for many years, as well as the Church Committee. He did everything that was needed: picking up the collection, coat check room, cleaning up, making coffee, buying soda, filling in for the janitor. He always enjoyed going out with the men on Lazarus Saturday to the Ukrainian farms to gather the pussy willows that are given out on Palm Sunday in church. Later he planted pussy willows in our garden and brought them to church himself. Dad enjoyed going to the Golden Age Club for their weekly bingo. He loved to go bowling until his heart problems made him too unsteady on his feet. Tato pickled cabbage in a barrel at home and even in church. He fashioned a utensil to drain the cabbage so it would be easier to make cabbage pyrohy. He taught himself wood carving and made Ukrainian decorated wooden frames for home and for church. On Jordan Waters Day (Epiphany, the Baptism of Jesus) he made an ice cross in Park Ukraine to which for many years there was a procession from church to bless the water there. But what he loved the most was exhibiting the beautiful new Ukrainian postage stamps. He was the last surviving founder of the Association of Ukrainian Philatelists and Numismatists in Montreal. The Association donated full sets of Ukrainian postage stamps to the National Postal Museum in Ottawa and also Ukrainian currency to the National Currency Collection at the Bank of Canada. He was especially happy to be invited by Dr. John Foreman to go to Ottawa for the unveiling of the Canadian icon stamps that celebrated the Millennium of Christianity in Ukraine.

He will always be our daddy. We could rely on him to drive us and pick us up anywhere. He dressed up as Santa Claus so the jolly fellow could visit with us when we were young. He always brought treats for us on his way home from work when we ran out to meet him on the street. He taught us how to swim and he took us for long boat rides every summer at Camp Ukraine. Papa walked with us along the boardwalk in Wildwood before we went to the beach. He loved us and we could always depend on him, as could the rest of the family and his friends. Visitation at Alfred Dallaire Memoria, 3254 Bellechasse, Montreal on May 27^th from 7 to 9 p.m., panachyda at 7:30pm. Funeral Divine Liturgy at Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Ukrainian Catholic Church, 6185-10th avenue, in Rosemount on May 28^th at 9:00 a. m.

Thy ways are unknown to me, O Lord. I understand nothing. I only know that I love and trust You. Be kind to my loved ones and do with me whatever You will. Christ Is Risen! Chrystos Voskres!