Former Prince Albert Raider and local teacher Jerry Kachur tragically passed on June 14. (submitted photo/University of Alberta)

By Trevor Redden

Kachur Remembered

Jerry Kachur fondly remembered as passionate educator and athlete

Jun 25, 2020 | 12:57 PM

A former Raider rookie of the year from nearby Shellbrook who went on to a distinguished academic career at the University of Alberta will be missed by many after his tragic passing.

Dr. Jerrold (Jerry) Kachur retired in November 2019 after 23 years as a faculty member in the Department of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Alberta, and was looking forward to spending more time with his grandchildren and enjoying his family in the coming years. Kachur passed away on June 14 at the age of 64 due to complications from heart disease.

During his tenure at the U of A, he received the school’s Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching and the Faculty of Education Graduate Teaching Award.

“Jerry will be particularly remembered as a popular instructor with both undergraduate and graduate students,” Dean Tupper, Dr. Larry Prochner, and Dr. Jorge Sousa said in a university statement.

“Jerry was a good friend to many of us and will be sadly missed.”

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Before academics became his professional focus, Kachur was an athletic standout in Shellbrook.

Jim McComas taught in the community while Kachur was in high school and remembers a young leader.

“He was a very intelligent boy, he had a mind of his own and would definitely be hard to move from an opinion,” McComas said. “He was a good person, a good student, a very intelligent student, very athletic, and he had strong beliefs that he would pursue as far as he could.”

After playing some minor hockey in Prince Albert, Kachur was able to make the jump to the Prince Albert Raiders in the fall of 1972. Having grown up in the area, it was a major opportunity.

Kachur earned rookie of the year honours with the Prince Albert Raiders in 1972-73. (submitted photo/Prince Albert Raiders)

Cindy Goldhawke, Jerry’s younger sister, has fond memories of his first season.

“Raider hockey was really exciting from the get-go. As a family we supported and cheered and followed them all the time. The names still stick in my head: Mikey Kindrachuk, Tom Brown, Bob Balicki, all those guys that he played with years ago. It was really nice to be a part of that,” Goldhawke said.

Kachur went on to earn the team’s rookie of the year award in 1972-73, with fellow Shellbrook native Terry Simpson behind the bench. In his second season after graduating high school, injury troubles brought an early end to his year, and after a tryout with the Saskatoon Blades the following season, his junior career ended.

Listed here at 5-7, family members say Kachur insisted he was closer to 5-10. He was known for playing a skilled, gentlemanly game. (submitted photo/Linda Irvine)

While he wasn’t able to make a career out of hockey, the sport did lead him to the woman he would marry and raise a family with.

On a road trip to Regina, Kachur and teammate Bob Hoffmeyer were out at a local bowling alley where he met the owner’s daughter.

“It was on a Saturday, and I was working, and they said they couldn’t keep score. I think they just wanted me to come over,” Linda Irvine explained with a laugh. “When they were leaving, they asked if I wanted to come to the game. A friend of mine and I came to the game, and afterwards Jerry and Bob came over to my house to play records. I don’t know if they were supposed to, I think they broke curfew.”

The two would stick together from there, and ultimately took physical education together beginning in 1974 at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. After graduating in 1978, they married and spent a summer travelling Europe. Upon returning, Irvine went back to school to finish her education to become a teacher, while Kachur focused on his passion for writing.

Irvine would eventually land a position at Rivier Academy which brought the couple back to Prince Albert, and after another trip to Europe Kachur chose to finish his education to become a teacher as well. While they worked in Prince Albert, their daughter Kelli was born in 1983, and son Nikoli in 1985. The family later moved to Edmonton in 1991 where Irvine started teaching with Edmonton Public Schools and Kachur took his PhD at the U of A.

Linda Irvine and Jerry Kachur, along with children Kelli and Nikoli, set to make the move to Edmonton in 1991. (submitted photo/Linda Irvine)

While teaching at Carlton Comprehensive High School, Kachur had several Raiders come through his classroom and did his best to impress the importance of education on them whenever he could.

Cindy Goldhawke remembered a time when her brother’s advice may have fallen flat on a star pupil.

“When he taught Mike Modano, one time he pulled him to the side to talk to him about academics. He said to make sure you keep on with that because hockey might not be something you can make a lifetime of. He always laughed that he sure ate those words,” Goldehawke recalled.

The love of education was passed down to Kelli and Nikoli from both their parents. Kelli is now a lawyer in Australia, while Nikoli went to university for physical education and is now a firefighter in Edmonton. Between the two children, there are four grandchildren across two continents.

Kachur and Irvine would separate, and he added three step-children to his family when he met partner Vicki Macris. Kachur is also survived by former partner Deanna Williamson.

A celebration of life will be held at a future date to be announced.

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trevor.redden@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @Trevor_Redden