Irene Kruk

Irene was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on June 1, 1934, to Peter and Maria (Martyn) Kruk. She was peacefully called to eternal rest in the Lord on December 16, 2025, leaving behind a life marked by devotion to family, faith, and the written word.

She spent a brief time living on a farm in Peguis, Manitoba; however, the remainder of her formative years were spent in Winnipeg’s Point Douglas area, where she grew up above her father’s shop at the corner of Mackenzie and Selkirk. While attending Isaac Newton High School, she developed a deep appreciation for the arts and nurtured her writing abilities. In her book of nature poems, Wings in Wilderness, she credits her mother and father as those “who first opened [her] mind to the beauty of nature and of language.”

For a time, Irene also lived in Edmonton, Alberta, where she welcomed her beloved son, Paul, in 1972, whom she cherished deeply. She later returned to Winnipeg, where she pursued a career as a laboratory technician with the Canadian Red Cross and Canadian Blood Services. 

She was predeceased by her parents, Peter and Maria; her older sister, Sister Andrea (Helen), SSMI; her younger brother, Myron (and his wife, Olia); and her son, Paul. She is survived by her nephews, Borys (Jayne) and Yury (Lesia), and her grand-nephews and grand-niece, Mykola, Danylo, and Halyna.

“Rose-coloured evening
And minutes later, lavender defines
Earth’s space and skies
Past haze which sultry day sustains
Air quickly cooled and still
Soothes sense
As sun persistent and intense
Throughout long stretch of afternoon
At last slowly declines”

- Excerpt from The Melancholy Tide, Irene Kruk

May her memory be eternal - Вічная пам'ять