Katie “Kay” Martyniuk

September 16, 1928 ~ April 19, 2020

Let us celebrate our Champion! Our mother, grandmother, great grandmother, loyal friend and neighbor.

Katrina (Katie) Martyniuk (nee Borysiuk) was born in Poland in 1928. At age 6, she immigrated to Canada with her mother Charatyna, and older brother Henry to meet her father, Steve, who had arrived in Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan five years earlier.  That fall, the family moved to where they would finally settle, on their farm in Paddockwood, Sask.  That first year they lived in a hastily constructed rough shack that was their very first and very own “home.”  Katie attended Dorothy school with her brother, learning a new language and making new friends and enduring the hardships of early pioneer life.  She fondly remembered playing baseball with friends on Sunday afternoons, the only day the family took a break from the many chores of life. Those days surely inspired her future love of all sports. That interest was especially strong when she could cheer on any of her extended family from the stands or have her family surrounding her as she watched a game on TV.  She travelled extensively throughout the province to watch her grandchildren, wherever they happened to have a music recital, skiing event, dance recital, basketball, baseball or football game, etc.  She was the best cheerleader anyone could have!

After completing high school in Paddockwood, Katie moved to Prince Albert, enrolled in Park City Business College, and in 1949 began her twenty year career at Burns &Co. Katie made life-long friends while at Burns, as well as meeting her life partner, Paul Martyniuk.  Katie and Paul were married November 7^th, 1952.

Katie and Paul raised their four children in Prince Albert, while working and caring, directly or indirectly, for her parents after they moved into the house next door in Prince Albert, her father and mother in-law on the Martyniuk farm south of Prince Albert, her mother’s sister and her family a few blocks away, and her brother back on the farm until he found his future wife, Stella. She was a constant, selfless, caregiver.  Katie’s love of family was evident, and she extended that love far beyond her immediate blood family.  Her grandchildren “learned very early that family extends far beyond our immediate relatives and even beyond our Babas (or great great aunts?) or third cousins and the guy we saw at the Co-op.”  She would welcome everyone’s friends, become adopted Auntie, or Gramma, or Baba, never place judgement on a person because “everyone is different and that’s okay”, and had a sixth sense when people were arriving.  As soon as you crossed the threshold and went up the stairs into the kitchen, Katie would emerge and offer you your favourite snack – strawberry rhubarb jam, gramma cookies – fresh from the freezer and oval shaped so they’d fit in the glass (or tea cup) for dunking, hard cheese, or raspberries – picked fresh from the garden. She always had a big smile, the cutest laugh, and welcoming spirit. She was the star of any show but never cared for the spotlight.  Katie was honest; gentle; loving; caring; pure; generous; and, above all else, a strong woman who valued people, company and relationships.

Katie was a constant companion for Paul, a selfless contributor and supporter of his community and business endeavours, including the PA Home Bakery during the 1970s.  She loved the land, blueberry and cranberry and mushroom picking, ice fishing with friends/family, and maintaining an envious massive garden in her backyard so all of her kids and grandkids could eat fresh vegetables in the summer… and pickled or frozen vegetables for the winter… and canned fruits… and jams… and…..

Life was busy, often challenging, and presented many difficult times.  Despite this, Katie provided a sense of security and safety for all of her extended families. While she never complained, she was forthright and willing to share her experiences when asked.

In her later years, Katie found more time to spend in her garden and with her precious grandchildren, and then great grandchildren and great nieces, and nephews – and she treasured every moment!

In 2015, Katie gracefully left her house and garden of 60+ years, and moved into the leisurely surroundings of Caleb Village, meeting up with old friends and making new.  She was loved and respected by many.  She was always welcomed back to her original Paddockwood community – and of course, remembered everyone that ever came to greet her.

Katie suffered a stroke in her 88th year and became a resident at Birchview LTC home. She became “their gem”, never a complaint, always content with a smile and willing to take on any new adventure that was offered, lunch out at the local golf course or in the field with local farmers, an outing to the Army and Navy for a glass of beer, playing bingo and learning to play the hand chimes (she always wanted to play a musical instrument) and just taking in all that this new life had to offer.   It was shocking to see that she was finally content to be “cared for” instead of always caring for others – but her innate nature to be optimistic and pleasant was probably, in part, a way to “care” for her caregivers.   Although in a wheelchair, she always mused however, that she “just hadn’t had time yet to plant her potatoes this year.”

Our family will be forever grateful for the exceptional, compassionate loving care our mother, grandmother and great grandmother received from all staff at Birchview LTC. I think she was their special gramma too.

In memory, donations can be made to Birch Hills Auxillary Fund Birchview Special Care Home, 7 Wilson Street, Birch Hills , Sk. S0J 0G0.

Katie is lovingly survived by her four children (Janet, Fred, Beverly and Myrna), her special sister-in-law Stella Borysiuk and family, her “bestie of 70 years” Marg Power, and all their extended families:

• Janet Day (children Brandee Carter [Jay – children Maya and Benjamin]; Daxton Day [Carol – son Kael])
• Fred Martyniuk (Marilyn Cook) – children Devin Martyniuk [Andrea – children Holden and Amelie]; Darcie O’Neill [Chris – children Toby and Nathan]); [Carmen Willington – children Zoe and Jack; Steven & Cecilia Cej])
• Beverly MacNeil (Terry – children Kristopher and Kate)
• Myrna Martyniuk (Richard Thatcher – children Megan Martin [James Bulliard – children Hugh and Edie]; Carlene Thatcher-Martin; Dylan Thatcher; Alicia Thatcher [Joshua Howie])

Katie was predeceased by her husband, Paul Martyniuk,  daughter in-law, Shirl Martyniuk, parents Steve and Charatyna Borysiuk, and brother, Henry Borysiuk and brother/sister in-law Mike and Alba Sadowy.

There will not be a service at this time.  A celebration of Katie’s life will be held at a later date.  Condolences may be sent to the family at www.grays.ca.  Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Gray’s Funeral Chapel, (306) 922-4729.

• Date : 2020-04-19
• Location : Prince Albert, SK