William Bobyk
William “Bill” Bobyk passed away early in the morning of June 1st, 2021, at Lions Prairie Manor in Portage la Prairie, MB.
Bill was predeceased by his wife Jeanette Bobyk (nee Kauth), and leaves behind two sons, William H.C. Bobyk and Barton Bobyk, as well as a daughter-in-law (Barton’s wife) Shauna Bobyk.
Bill was born on Sept. 26, 1941, the son of Harry and Anna Bobyk, recent immigrants from the Ukraine. He grew up on a farm in the Swan Plain area of Saskatchewan and had one older sibling, Sophie, who was born in the Ukraine. Due to a disagreement between his parents, Bill was called Steve throughout his early life - on his mother’s insistence. He is still affectionately known to his relatives in the Norquay area as “Uncle Steve”.
It was not until after graduating from high school and becoming employed with the Bank of Montreal that his life as William (his legal first name) would begin. This first job off the farm would become a 35 year career, that took him to communities throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and even into Ontario. And during several terms on the bank’s auditing team, he travelled from coast to coast and even to Chicago for weeks at a time. And of course, it was early in the course of his bank career that he meet his wife Jeanette, marrying in 1965.
Bill’s great love was the outdoors, enjoying camping, hiking, fishing and hunting, which he took part in with his family and his close friends Brian and Carole Cramer—who he meet during his tenure as the Carman branch manager. Particularly after he took early retirement in his mid-fifties, he and Jeanette devoted much time to these pursuits.
Those who knew Bill were also aware that he was a very talented artistic painter and later took up wood carving, with a special fondness for detailed carvings of waterfowl. While stationed in Carman, MB, he was even called upon to design the image for the Carman Centennial Coin.
Through most of his life he enjoyed good health, but later in life developed heart problems and eventually dementia, an affliction also suffered by his mother and sister. Despite this he lived his life as best he could and as independently as he could for as long as possible. And now he is free and once again with Jeanette, who was taken from him far too early. No doubt they are somewhere on a boat, on a lake, floating beneath a golden sun.
In accordance with his wishes, William's family will celebrate his life privately.
Messages of condolences can be made online at www.omegafuneralhome.com
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