Nestor Bially

Nestor Bially

August 3, 1931 – January 2, 2022

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Nestor on January 2, 2022, at the age of 90 years at the Seven Oaks Hospital.

He will be lovingly remembered by his wife Nancy, his two sons Jarvis (Vickie), Donny (Liza), six grandchildren; Kyle (Christina), Trisha (Josh), Kelsey (Justin), Taylor, Dayle, and Jonathan, two step-granddaughters; Vanessa and Alanna, and four great-grandchildren; Owen, Noah, Parker, and Halle.  He is also survived by his sister Pauline, brother Henry (Helen), sister Rose (John), sister Bernice (Terry), sister-in-law Elsie, ten nieces, and seven nephews.  He was predeceased by his parents Peter and Margaret Bially and his siblings Mollie, Anne, Mary, Harry, Frank, and Jackie.

Nestor was born on August 3, 1931, in Vita and grew up on a farm near Overstoneville as the fourth oldest of eleven siblings.  As a teenager, he played on the Overstoneville Blue Jays baseball team.  In 1946 at the young age of 15, Nestor got a job with CN Rail to help support his parents and siblings.  He worked his way up to be a Section Foreman and had a successful career with CN until 1986.

Nestor married the love of his life Nancy Dykun at the age of 22 on October 10, 1953.  They shared 68 years together.  They lived in Elgin and Ridgeville before purchasing a farm in Overstoneville in 1962 where they operated Bially’s General Store and Post Office for 50 years.  Nestor took great pride in being a hard worker and instilled this work ethic in his two sons.  Nestor became a successful cattle and grain farmer with the help of both his sons.  Nestor lived a balanced life while he worked at CN, the family farm, and operated the store.  Together with Nancy, they volunteered in the community, were active members of their church, and fully participated in all social functions.  He always made time to take his wife dancing.

Nestor had a larger-than-life personality.  His family, friends, and neighbors were very important to him and he was always willing to give them a hand.  Nestor had a variety of interests.  He enjoyed listening to Ukrainian music, dancing the polka, and the occasional trip to the casino.  He loved horses and took great pride in his horse Trigger.  He was a novice curler in Ridgeville and enjoyed fishing, deer hunting, driving his motorcycle, and four-wheeler to check his cattle.  He served as president of the Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church, president of Ukrainian National Home, and president of Overstoneville Independent Cemetery. 

Family celebrations were highly important and meaningful to Nestor.  There was nothing that he loved more than joking with the grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  He was happy when his grandchildren visited and he proudly attended their sports and Ukrainian dance recitals.

In 2012 they retired from the family farm and moved to Vita.  Nestor enjoyed socializing with friends over coffee at the local gas station, going to Bingo, and weekly lunches at the Friendship Centre.  Nestor took great pleasure in growing and bragging about his tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and garlic.  He insisted on having a side dish of onions mixed with vinegar at the supper table every day.  Every July 1, he was excited to drive his 1940 Chevy truck in the Vita Canada day parade.

In 2019, Nancy and Nestor moved to River Ridge II Retirement Residence in Winnipeg where he had the pleasure of enjoying the entertainment and making new friends.

The family would like to thank the management and staff at River Ridge II for their compassionate and attentive care of Nestor over the last two years.

In lieu of flowers, if friends and family so desire, donations in memory of Nestor can be made to:
Holy Ghost Ukrainian Orthodox Church Box 129, Tolstoi, MB R0A 2E0.

“Rest in Your Field of Paradise Dad and Gigi”

Vichnaya Pam’yat

Memory Eternal