On August 15, unexpectedly, after a long journey with vascular dementia, Maria passed away peacefully at the Garry J. Armstrong Long Term Care Home. Beloved mother of Tamara (Ottawa) and widow of the late Vladimir (Walter, 2009).
Born in Oshytky, Ukraine, during Stalin’s Holodomor, sole surviving child of Paraskeva and Mihailo Schewtschenko, she led a grim early life. Dispossessed of the family home by the Communist regime, she then witnessed the execution of her father by village Communist partisans at the age of 16. Good fortune permitted Paraskeva and Maria to ultimately make their way to post war Germany where she met and married Walter. Tamara was born in Belgium and the family emigrated to Canada in 1951, where they settled in Sudbury, Ontario.
In addition to working outside the home, Maria deployed her enormous range of skills, ranging from incredible petit point, crocheting, intricate knitting to exquisite couturier work, all to Tamara’s benefit. Also, her borscht, cabbage rolls and varenyki could not be beaten. Maria was a quiet, but forceful, advocate of women’s equality and, with her encouragement, Tamara entered into and thrived in what was then a male oriented profession. After Walter’s death in 2009, she joined Tamara in Ottawa and enjoyed herself thoroughly in gardening to her heart's content. Unfortunately, in late 2016 dementia ultimately resulted in her move to the Garry J. Armstrong. Tamara is extremely grateful to the staff of the 7th floor for their compassionate care of and attention to Maria and would like to thank all involved, particularly Joyce Chenoweth, Maureen Sogol, and wonderful caregiver, Yvonne Van Trichtveldt.
A private burial service will be held.
Livre de visiteurs
Yvonne M van trichtveldt
Connie Lind
Tamara: Sorry to read about your Mom. I remember her and your Dad from the library. She always had a smile on her face. She would also bring in clippings from her garden .... I loved the smell of the lilacs especially.
Ken and Burke
Dear Tamara, our sincere condolences go out to you .. the obituary of your Mum is very moving and extremely enlightening .. WOW ..
Wendy Bird
Tamara - So sorry for your loss. I always admired your dedication to caring for your mom. I have no doubt that she was grateful for your love and support. With my heartfelt sympathy, Wendy B.
Jan Bosher
Dear Tamara, thinking of you at this sad time, and sending my deepest sympathy. Jan
Issam Elhaje
My sincere condolences to you Tamara.
A great respect to your parents for the sacrifice they made.
So sorry for your loss Tamara.
It was a pleasure to have known Maria. What an incredible person Maria was.
Yvonne