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Alice Boychuk was born in Sweden and was just a year old when she arrived in Manitoba. But she cherished her heritage for life.
Alice, who was 74 when she died on Feb. 19, was born in the southern island of Karlskrona to Siegfried and Alice Delblanc. It was Siegfried’s second marriage and he had a son from his first marriage, Sven, an award-winning Swedish author and professor of literature.
With the same first name as her mother, Alice was given the nickname Lillan, or little Alice, and that’s what her family called her for the rest of her life.
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The family immigrated to Canada and came to Manitoba where they lived in Vassar for a short time, then Arden for three years, and then back to Vassar to live on a 160-acre property.
Fifteen years later, when her father’s death created a financial hardship for the family, a 16-year-old Alice left to get a job in Winnipeg.
She was able to find a job, eventually finish high school and go on to get her nursing degree at the then-Red River Community College.
She first began nursing at Winnipeg’s Princess Elizabeth Hospital, King Edward Memorial Hospital, and King George Hospital, known collectively as the Municipal Hospitals. Riverview Health Centre is there now.
Alice later nursed at the Grace Hospital as well as at St. Amant.
She married Walter in 1971 and they had two sons.
Alice was known as an amazing cook and, with a nod to both her and her husband’s heritages, made both Scandinavian and Ukrainian specialties. With her culinary skills she helped make the family’s home known as the “go-to” place to be for the holidays.
She was fluent in Swedish so for many years she taught the language at the Vasa Lund Swedish Association on Roblin Boulevard.
Alice was even the namesake of the Swedish book “Kara Alice!” a book written about a letter her author brother mailed to her in Canada, as well as being interviewed in the television documentary Delblanc, a film about him.
Alice was predeceased by her husband, son Matthew, and brother Sven.
She is survived by her son, Mark, two granddaughters, two great-grandchildren, two sisters and three brothers.
Read more about Alice
How They Lived
Klaus Klostermaier was the youngest full professor at the University of Manitoba when he was hired.
Klaus, who was 90 when he died on Feb. 26, had two doctorates when he was hired to work in the university’s Department of Religion in 1970.
He taught for 29 years, teaching courses on world religions, Hinduism, and the science of religion, and later headed the department. He also led the creation of the Asian Studies Centre at the university and received several awards including the Rh Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Humanities and the Graduate Students’ Association Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching.
Read more about Klaus
Ann Fulton helped three different Winnipeg mayors.
Ann, who died on Feb. 21 at the age of 98, was the executive secretary for mayors Steve Juba, Robert Steen and Bill Norrie.
Another long-time employee says because workers in the mayor’s office considered themselves family, Ann was seen as their mother.
Read more about Ann
Bill Morton was a longtime Crown prosecutor.
Bill, who was 90 when he died on Feb. 21, specialized in the prosecution of frauds. For his legal skills, he was honoured by being named a Queen’s Counsel.
But he also volunteered with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He was a longtime member of the team’s board of directors, and he was later inducted into the Winnipeg Football Club’s Hall of Fame, so fitting because he was the driving force behind its creation.
Read more about Bill
Tragically, Willow Howard was only eight when she died.
Willow, who died on Feb. 21, was only two when she was diagnosed as one of fewer than 100 patients around the world – and the only one in Manitoba – with NGLY-1 Deficiency, a rare disorder affecting multiple systems of the body.
Her family says she was known to all as “a beloved pacifist with a strong will and streak of covert strength.”
Read more about Willow
A Life’s Story
Bob Harrison asked Mary to go roller skating together in 1949 and they were rarely apart after that.
In fact, decades later, after a marriage of 73 years and raising five children, Bob and Mary died within 16 hours of each other across the hallway at a personal care home.
“It was very sad, but, on the flip side, it was kind of comforting,” son Told Harrison said.
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Mary and Bob Harrison, who were married for 73 years, died within hours of each other on Jan. 5.
Bob was a pioneer in two-way mobile radio and was one of the first to install radios in police, fire and taxi vehicles. Mary kept the house going at home.
To read more about their lives, click here.
Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life’s story.
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