Obituary
Born March 10, 1932 in a Lemko village Berest, Poland. On April 13th, 2021, Emil peacefully passed away at the age of 89. He will be deeply missed by his son Stefan, daughters Nina (Zenon Drozd) and Marysia (Joe Smolic), and fondly remembered by the grandchildren he cared deeply about: Nestor, Luba and Leo.
As was the case with many in his generation, Emil ran into many challenges along his life: living in Eastern Europe during the Second World War, being ethnically resettled during Akcja Wisla, being forced to serve in the Polish army in the early 1950s and living as a Ukrainian in Communist Poland. He came to Canada in 1984 with his wife Nadia and three kids, not speaking a single word of English, with the hope of giving better opportunities to his children and future grandchildren, which he certainly did. These challenges would have weakened a lesser man but they strengthened him and his character. The example of Emil going through so much in his life, but seemingly never complaining and finding happiness in the path he carved for himself in Canada, continues to inspire his family today.
At his core Emil was a proud Ukrainian-Canadian and deeply loyal family man; if his support was needed in one way or another, he would unquestionably be there to provide it. Whether intentionally, or unintentionally, he was also often the source of great laughter. The memories of his gardening escapades or wood chopping adventures are stories that our family will never forget.
In the end, Emil or as he was really known in the family, Dido, made all of our lives richer. For that, he will be forever remembered.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Ukrainian Care Center at the following link: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/25329
Due to the current Covid - 19 restrictions in Toronto that allow a maximum number of guests to attend a funeral, the service details will be kept private and attendance will be by invite-only.
The family thanks you for your support and understanding during this challenging time.
