JOHN MAKARCHUK

John Makarchuk passed away Friday, June 27, 2014.
John was born June 13, 1933 and raised in Fort Frances in Northwestern Ontario (God’s Country, according to him) and had many stories, both funny and sad, about life there.
When he was 24, John ventured east to North Bay, Ont. for Normal School (later called Teachers’ College). There he met Barbara Atkinson from Matachewan and began a life in Northeastern Ontario.
He followed her to Kirkland Lake and a teaching position, and marriage. Everything became “we” then.
John enjoyed teaching in the elementary system, in the classroom and in the shops. In the summers, we travelled Canada from sea to sea to sea, having adventures, going fishing, meeting people, and seeing the beauty of nature everywhere.
We are both proud first-generation Canadians, “not snowbirds but chickadees.”
Fishing and hunting were John’s passions and took him from Baffin Island to the Pacific Ocean and lots of points in between. I usually caught the bigger salmon but he won the Crib, Gin, and Euchre games.
He loved cooking (thank goodness), as well as the Jays and Leafs.
John leaves to miss him forever his wife, Barbara; sister, Mary and husband, Joe Schryer, and their children, Cindy and Steven from Thunder Bay, Ont.; our second family, Rick and Judy and Kim and Kara; and many other special friends and relatives all over the country.
John always said the outdoors was his church and God is the universe, the universe is God, so he could worship wherever he was.
There will be a time of remembrance on Friday, July 11, 2014 from 2-4 p.m. in the Larry Brown Room at the Royal Canadian Legion Br. #87.
Please come, toast John, and share memories.
In memoriam donations may be made to the charity of one’s choice or to the Nature Conservancy of Canada, 36 Eglinton Ave. W., Suite 400, Toronto, Ont., M4R 1A1.
Online condolences, donations, lighting of a candle, ordering of flowers, and sharing of photos and stories may be made at www.frenchfamily.ca