Phyllis was born to Nick and Irene Kitzul at the family farm home near West Bend, SK on July 3, 1943 and left this life on August 7, 2023.  She became an older sister to brothers Larry and Dennis and sister Roseanne. She received her elementary education at the Edmore School and her high school at the Foam Lake High School and then on to business school in Saskatoon.  After graduating from business school, she worked for a firm called Dun and Bradstreet. Next was her marriage to Steven Holowaty on July 24, 1965 from the Edmore Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  Following a short honeymoon in Vancouver, BC the newly married couple moved to Melfort where Steven began a new teaching job.

Soon after the move, they started their family with Leanne born on April 17, 1966, Carlene on January 17, 1968 and Evan on January 15, 1969.  As time went on and the girls married and had children Phyllis was especially happy to welcome the grandchildren which came along.  She liked to cook them their favorite meals, buy them treats and send them money when she felt they needed it.  She felt especially lucky to see her first great-grandson Bowen Garchinski who was born on June 18, 2023 and was very happy to greet him when he came to visit just before she passed.

Phyllis took on her new role very seriously as she became an excellent wife and mother and later grandmother.  She became an excellent cook, gardener and hostess to anyone coming to visit.  She was active in her Church spending many hours cleaning the Church, working on a committee making perogies to raise funds for the Church and then was treasurer for the ladies’ organization for many years.   In addition to all this she became a teacher-aide working with a child with hearing difficulties starting with kindergarten all the way through to high school and then moved to work with special needs children at the division 3 and 4 levels.   In her spare time (which she enjoyed  very much) she became involved in a ladies’ bridge club which was originated by some teachers’ wives in order to get away from husbands and kids at least for an evening every two weeks.

She became active in the Melfort Kinette Club where she was voted Kinette of The Year In ’73-’74, served as President in ’75-’76 and served as Kinette District Co-ordinator in ’82-83 for the District 3 Kinette Club.  For her efforts she was awarded the Elspeth Rogers Life Membership Award on September 10, 1983.  She also attended the Kinsmen National Convention in Moncton, NB in 1983.

She leaves to mourn her passing her husband Steven of 58 years, daughter Leanne and husband Rick and their children: Nicholas (Reese) and son Bowen, Benson and Jesse; daughter Carlene and husband Troy and their children: Katie and Jason, brother Larry, sister Roseanne and brother-in-law Glen and sister-in-law Audrey, in-laws Norman, Janet and Lawrence, Eleanor and Roger, Grant and Sharon and many nieces, nephews and cousins.

Phyllis was predeceased by granddaughter Megan, son Evan, parents Nick and Irene, in-laws Bill and Mary, sister-in-law Doreen and brother Dennis.

Вічная пам’яτь      Memory Eternal

The Funeral Service was held from the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of All Saints’ of Melfort, on Friday, August 11, 2023 at 10:00 AM with the Very Reverend Archpriest Patrick Powalinsky officiating.  The interment followed in the Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Melfort.

A Memorial Reception for Family and Friends was held from All Saints’ Anglican Church, Melfort, on Friday, August 11, 2023 at 3:00 PM.

To leave condolences for the Family, please visit the online guestbook at www.fedusiakfuneralchapel.com.

Friends so wishing may make memorial contributions to the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of All Saints’ of Melfort, PO Box 1844, Melfort, SK S0E 1A0.

Funeral arrangements were entrusted to Fedusiak Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, Melfort. (306) 752-3838.

 

• Date : 2023-08-07
• Location : Melfort, SK