Mrs. Maria Huk

Obituary

Maria Huk (nee Krawchenko) was born April 1st 1928 in the town of Duchyntsi, in the Poltava oblast, Ukraine. Third daughter to parents Roman and Priska (nee Yemetz), sister to Anastasia, Helen and Andy.

Maria’s childhood in Ukraine was mostly filled with fond memories of time spent with family but the Holodomor and then the subsequent World War finally turned life, irrevocably, upside down. With only the clothes on their backs, her father took the family and fled as the changing German and Soviet lines tore the people and their community apart. Walking across Ukraine and into Poland, witnessing the many atrocities that war brings, they finally made their way into Austria to toil as “DP’s” (displaced persons) but happy to be alive.

After the wars’ end, they chose Canada as the place for her to apply for work and a chance at a new life. The trip to Canada took her, aged 19 and alone, from Austria, through Italy and the port of Genoa, onto the USS General Sturgis troop carrier, through horrendous storms, to finally arrive a week overdue into the port of Halifax. By train from Halifax, through Montreal and then through Ontario to Fort William (now Thunder Bay) where she began her work term as a Domestic/Nanny to Mr. and Mrs. Best and family and finally started her new life.

Many great memories were made in “the north”; the burgeoning Ukrainian community, she met and married her charmer-husband Harry, gave birth to Michael, moved to Geraldton and lived the many challenges of a northern small town life along with the bugs and the snow on-top of more snow.

Her path then took her to Toronto, first living in the Ossington community and then to her first (and last) house on Indian Rd in Roncesvalles/High Park.

Maria and Harry were one of the doorways through which many new Canadian Ukrainians found their way into Canada. She always beamed with pride whenever she recalled the 12 to 14 people that lived in the Indian Rd semi at any one time. Two kitchens, one bathroom and everyone made it work. (so stop complaining about your sister hogging the washroom!)

As the family grew, the family left behind in Austria, Dad, Mom, sister Helen and brother Andy finally arrived to Canada with the final piece of the puzzle, her older sister Anastasia, who was taken to labour for Germany, finally arriving with her family. 15 years, and they were all finally together again.

Maria worked as a mom till her kids, separated by 16 years oldest to youngest, were old enough to be on their own. Maria then finally took on work in the corporate cafeteria for Wardair. She fondly remembered those early days, she always liked and respected Mr. Ward, and although the subsequent corporate changes to Canadian then Air Canada were never quite the same, she loved the people she worked with, the corporate staff as well as the flight crews and mechanics. She shared her stories with them and they with her.

Maria; wife to Harry, mother to Michael, Lesia (Brete), Gregory (Jodie) and Roman, Grandmother to Sydney, Darby and Alexa. Passed April 2nd 2025. 97 plus a day! She was both a proud Canadian and Ukrainian. She enjoyed living in her multicultural neighbourhood where people shared their life experiences, but also loved her farm property/cottage where she toiled but always marvelled with whatever she could grow from a single seed (even if potatoes were her favorite). It was a life well lived, loved and thoroughly enjoyed.

Vichnaya Pamyat.

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In memory of Maria, donations to the Heart And Stroke Foundation would be greatly appreciated.

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