Myrtle Julia Osachuk

Peacefully, our Mom, Baba, and Grand-Baba passed away in the early hours of 6 April 2026, surrounded by love, with her family at her side. 

Myrtle was born on 17 June 1933, in Vita, MB, the 6th of eight children. Her heart always remained in that corner of the province and she loved to visit as long as she was able to. Until the end she was generous with stories of her youth and our family that went before us, and we will always cherish the history that she passed down to us.

Myrtle studied at the Normal School and taught in schools in Ashern and Mountain Road. She left teaching to study Psychiatric Nursing in Portage la Prairie and worked hard as a nurse in Neepawa, Vita, and Winnipeg to support herself and her family. 

Along with our Dad, Mom was a partner on the family turkey farm in Gardenton, Manitoba. She spent many years of her life working on the farm while also nursing and raising her family there. In 1979, the farm was sold due to Dad’s poor health, and the family moved to Winnipeg where Mom continued her nursing career.

Mom was widowed at a young age and always ensured she was a strong and guiding presence to her four children. Her engaged and loving presence continued throughout her life once her children were grown and living away from home.  

Mom raised her children to be strong, generous, hardworking, independent, and proud of their faith and Ukrainian heritage. As the family matriarch, she taught us to uphold Ukrainian traditions, sacred celebrations at Christmas and Easter, and other acts of faith as taught to her by her ancestors. We can all recall her warm alto voice singing around the table at Christmas and Easter.

For decades she was a dedicated volunteer within the churches she attended as well as within the Ukrainian community in general, teaching Ukrainian dancing and singing, and running the Gardenton CYMK Youth Group. 

Baba was a devoted grandmother to her 7 grandchildren. She was there for it all, mundane and momentous, from music recitals to graduations to weddings. She had an open-door policy for her grandkids and they all loved to take advantage of it. Countless sleepovers as children turned into Saturday morning coffee visits and garden tours as adults, always with a full cookie jar (and often with a new hand-knit afghan or pair of mittens to take home). Classic country music on the crackly AM radio was a perpetual soundtrack.

Even in her final years at the personal care home, she would still try to feed her family! Her pyrohy, holubtsi, paska, butterscotch and lemon meringue pies, scrambled eggs, and many cookies will be on our tables forever. Mom gardened as well as she cooked. Her yard was overflowing with colour every spring and summer–sunflowers, roses, tulips, and a lush vegetable garden. In her later years when she was unable to do it herself, Mom loved to sit in the sun and supervise as her kids watered and weeded.

Life threw many challenges at Mom and she bore it all out with grace, faith, strength, and her wry sense of humour. Her final years were difficult but she never complained, remaining serene and even sassy to the end. Mom was kind and strong and funny and brave, and we were so lucky to have had her in our lives as long as we did.

Mom is survived by her children Jennifer (Mike), Sandra (Joe), Tim (Lorraine), and Pat (Jocelyn), and her grandchildren Mark (Jamie), Josh (Jill), Zenon (Taneil), Marissa (Rob), Dallen (Alice), Ilya, and Landon, and five great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her beloved sister and lifelong friend, Sonya, and many nieces and nephews who all felt her love and care over the years. She was predeceased by her husband, Nick, her parents, Mike and Verna, and her siblings Eileen, Doris, Rita, Luba, Nestor, and Vic.

Thank you to the staff of St Boniface Hospital for the sensitive and compassionate care they provided to Mom in her last days, as well as to the staff of Golden Links Lodge for caring for her over the last 16 months. 

The Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Vita was where Mom began her life of faith as a child and was always special to her throughout her life. She was baptized there, attended church there, married there, and made her final visit there as we released her into the loving hands of her heavenly Father. A private family funeral has taken place. 

Rest in peace Mom, Baba, and Grand Baba. You are loved and deeply missed. Thank-you for the gift you were in our lives. Christos Voskres!

In lieu of flowers, you may donate to the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Vita; the Ukrainian Museum & Village Society in Gardenton; the Canadian National Institute for the Blind; the St. Boniface Hospital Foundation; or Golden Links Lodge.

Mom and her sister Sonya loved to sing together throughout their lives and The Old Rugged Cross was a favourite:

“So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,

Till my trophies at last I lay down;

I will cling to the old rugged cross,

And exchange it some day for a crown.”

Vichnaya Pamyat!!