William "Bill" Shworak

William (Bill) Shworak passed away peacefully after a brief illness, with his wife Helen by his side, at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary, Alberta on Friday, May 28, 2021 at the age of 94 years.

Bill was born in 1926 in the village of Tulichow, Ukraine, the oldest of three children born to Philip and Maria (nee Teatow) Shworak (Szworak). The Szworaks immigrated to Canada in June 1939, when Bill was twelve years old and settled in Granada, Alberta, west of Edmonton. As a young man, Bill decided farming life wasn’t for him and pursued work first in the lumber industry and later the telecommunications industry. In 1951, he was hired by Canadian National Telegraphs (later CNCP). He married Helen Mazuruk in 1955 and they began their long life together in Kwinitsa, British Columbia, with their first child being born in the neighbouring town of Terrace, British Columbia. Bill was then transferred to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, where they lived for the next 8 years, and the remaining four of their five children were born. In 1964, he and his young family moved to Calgary, where they became active volunteers and members of the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians. He was an enthusiastic singer with the Calgary Hopak Ensemble, travelling and performing numerous times across the four western provinces; and remained an active participant until June 2018. In 1986 he ended his 36-year career with CNCP, retiring from his position of lineman/cable splicer-technician. Bill enjoyed an active retirement with his wife Helen, including many trips abroad, and dozens of motorhome trips across North America for visiting family, berry and mushroom picking and fishing. He was a highly active man into his early 90’s, even curling into his late 80’s. After that, despite slowing down he was still able to work in the yard and spend time nurturing and harvesting his fruit trees, as well as enjoying his family. Bill was known for being honest, reliable, hard-working and always willing to help out with construction, farming or renovation projects, or to share a funny story or joke or play a rousing game of crib. Bill was very much young at heart and small children and animals loved him.

Bill will be dearly missed by his wife of 65 years Helen (nee Mazuruk), his son Dr. Nicholas (Una) Shworak and their daughters Jocelyn and Alexandra of Vienna, Virginia, U.S.A.; his daughters Katherine (Neil) Francis, Barbara Shworak, Nadine (Kirby) Obermeyer and their sons Colin and Casey; and his son Thomas (Kari Lough) Shworak, all of Calgary. He will also be lovingly remembered by sister-in-law Ann Mazuruk, nephews John, Mitchell and Steven (Hana Blazkova) Mazuruk; and nephew Phillip (Christi) Shworak and their children Chloe and Michael. Also surviving him are relatives and friends in British Columbia, Edmonton, Athabasca and cousins living in Ukraine. Bill was predeceased by his mother Maria (1942), father Philip (1962), sister Olga (February 2010), brother Mike (June 2010) and father-in-law Tom (1998), mother-in-law Teodora (nee Kapitaniuk) (1975), brothers-in-law Michael (2017) and Anthony Mazuruk (1996) and sister-in-law Janina (nee Slawnikowski) Shworak (1994).

The Shworak family extends its heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Foothills Medical Centre for their care.

Due to COVID restrictions, the family has elected to proceed with a private ceremony at Foster’s Garden Chapel followed by cremation then interment at Queens Park Cemetery. A Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held later in the year.

In lieu of flowers, donations of remembrance may be made to a charity of your choice.