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Bright Smile, Warm Heart
Elsie's Obituary
SHYBA – Elsie (aka Baba)
1925 - 2007
Elsie Shyba, beloved to all who knew her, passed away on Thursday, April 4, 2007 at the age of 81 years. An extraordinarily loving person, Elsie was intelligent, generous, fun-loving, and inspired us all in ways that will forever make us better people. Elsie was born on July 11, 1925 in Vegreville, Alberta to Mary and Michael Powley. She attended Normal School in Edmonton and thereafter became a lifelong teacher and mentor, beginning her career in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Alberta. In 1958, she, husband Walter, and children Lori and Jack moved to Calgary where she taught Kindergarten and Grade One for many years at Westgate Elementary School and proudly taught Ukrainian cultural classes at St. Stephen’s Ukrainian Parish. After retiring, she, along with son Jack, formed Eat With Relish Catering where they pleased many a hungry crowd with their wonderful menus. Elsie was an excellent conversationalist, loved music, singing, dancing, and playing bridge, and always lit up a room the moment she arrived. All of us who knew and loved her will agree that Baba was larger than life, a respectful and loyal friend to all, and will be missed beyond imagining. She was predeceased by her husband , Walter, in 1990. She is survived by her loving children Jack (Carolyn), Lori (Paul), and grandchildren Austin, Warwick, Allyn, and Madelyn. Divine Liturgy will be held at St. Stephen’s Ukrainian Catholic Church (4903 45 Street SW) on Easter Monday, April 9, 2007 at 11:00. Interment will be at Eden Brook Memorial Gardens at a later date, where she be will laid to rest beside her husband Walter Shyba. In lieu of flowers, we invite you to share your memories of Elsie with us at http://memoriesofelsieshyba.blogspot.com.
7 comments:
First up to bat on these family memories is daughter, Lori. Elsie was a wise and strategic coach of a mother, urging me to always keep my eye of the ball. Home runs were most excellent but if I had to take it one base at a time, she's say "just give it all you got, donya." She could pitch too, catch, was a all-around fielder and never, never flinched when she had to mix it up with the guys. In fact, that was one of her greatest teachings to me. She'd say, "Men are no trouble if you know all the sports scores." Go Flames. You'll make Elsie proud.
This comment came in from Greg Shyba, currently on holiday and unable to post to blog from his exotic location but with us in his heart.
I have many fond memories of Elsie but the most memorable were the wonderful traditional Ukrainian Christmas Eve parties for our extended family and friends complete with all of the traditional Ukrainian food she had prepared. Boiled wheat with honey and poppy seeds was my favorite dish. She was a wonderful host.
Elsie taught Marlis and I how to make cabbage rolls and since then it is our tradition to make them together for dinner on Christmas Eve. We will think of her every time we are sitting at the kitchen table getting another batch of them ready for the oven.
I don't know how many times over the years I was asked: “Shyba? Are you related to Elsie? She was the best teacher I ever had!” I was always proud to say: “Yes, Elsie is my aunt.”
One of my fond memories of Elsie was the way she always greeted me. Even as a child, she made me feel very important with her big, warm sincere greetings. I will miss her.
A few stream-of-conciousness memories excerpted from my travel journal, penned half the world and four months removed from the epicentre:
* the moment when Baba discovered I'd passed her in height, standing next to her in the bathroom. I must have been eleven years old. Her quip: "I must be shrinking."
* laminated train photo placemats in her kitchen counterside pullout table, the same table us kids would gather around during family get-togethers.
* the smell of the spare bedroom to the left at the end of the hall and the storage room to the right.
* kutia every year for the first course of Christmas Eve dinner, from the early, hazily-remembered annual reunions at her house on Westover Drive, tearing through the kitchen and living room chasing the other kids as the adults chatted politics over brandy, to the final, sedentary evening with Jack and Carolyn at Dana Village, unopened cardboard boxes still stacked from her move the year before. We grew up, and grew old, moved and changed careers, but the kutia was always the same.
* the final time I heard her voice, on Valentine's Day when she called in Tianjin and read her spin on the venerable "roses are red" poem she'd composed for me. The long-distance line cut out for a moment during the third line; I tried asking her to read it again but her hearing was failing and she couldn't hear what I was saying. Overheard as she handed the phone back to my mum: "it was great talking to him but, you know, I couldn't hear a single word he was saying!" (I wonder if that, the last conversation I ever had with her, was the first time her voice was heard in China?)
- Austin, grandson
I was fortunate enough to spend alot of time with Elsie in the last couple years. Like Rod said, she always gave me a warm welcome and asked about my kids and family. When we were kids, I loved it when everyone came out to the farm and all the ladies were cooking away in the kitchen, Elsie always liked to add a little of this or that to spice the meal up a little. I learnt alot of little shortcuts and tricks from her over the years.
A couple months ago, I had made a big pot of homemade soup and took some to her when I went over. The next time I went back, she kept telling me how much she loved my soup. I took that as a HUGE compliment.
If I was troubled with something, she always gave me sound advice. With the recent loss of my Dad, she was really helpful with acceptance.
I loved her sense of humor, she really cracked me up sometimes.
We lost a great gal, she will be missed and lovingly remembered.
My wife Dianne and I were very sorry to hear of Elsie's passing. I know Elsie through growing up with Greg, Brad, Murray and Rog Shyba. My memories of her are of someone always making people feel comfortable and being a person of high energy. I will never forget being invited to her home in Westgate for a Ukrainian Festival with many of the other family members. She made us feel very welcome and was the shining light of that affair. I haven't seen Elsie for many years, yet she definitely stands out as a wonderful person and our condolences go out to her family.
I am a second cousin of Elsie's. My name is John Luhowy. My sister, Rose Schnieder, of Calgary who spoke of her often, sent me Elsie's Funeral Service Bulletin to-day. I read, with great interest, all the wonderful comments about her life. She certainly was an amazing and gifted person, whom all who came in contact with her will agree. I was surprised to see such a remarkable resemblance of my sister, Ann, in her. It's my loss that I never had the opportunity of knowing I had such a talented second cousin. My wife and I send our sincerest sympathy to all the family.
May God keep you in his care at this sad time.
John & Isabella Luhowy
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