It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Peter Alvin Wasylyshyn on May 6th, 2022 at the age of 83 years.
He will be forever loved and missed by his son Steven (Ronda); daughter Lisa Fruscella (John); brother Fred (Ruth) and many family members, including numerous nieces and nephews, and an abundance of friends.
Peter was predeceased by his father Nicholas, mother Anne, brother Dan (Rosemary), and his wife Janice.
Peter was born on a farm near Gorlitz, Saskatchewan. He was a third-generation descendent of the Ukrainian immigrants recruited by the Canadian government in the late 19th century to farm the prairie provinces. Peter attended the Yorkton Collegiate Institute and then moved to Toronto where he worked for BA Oil and the Coca Cola corporation. He also worked at Orenda Engines, on the famed Avro Arrow project. It was in Toronto that he met his first wife and mother of his children, Margaret Rose Stewart. Soon after their first son Steven was born in 1962, they moved to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan where their daughter Lisa was born the following year.
In 1968 they moved to Regina, where Peter worked for the Wascana Centre. In the 1970s Peter obtain a degree in horticultural science from Guelph University and the family moved to Red Deer, Alberta. Peter worked as Parks Superintendent for the City of Red Deer from 1975 until his retirement in 1996. His CKGY radio show “Gardening with Pete” was a great success, running from 1989 until 2002.
He and his second wife, Janice, started one of Alberta’s only “u-pick” cherry farms, Prairie Perfect Orchards. They ran the orchard with great success from 2004 until 2014 when they moved to Olds and finally “really” retired. Peter enjoyed many horticulture-related projects and was always surrounded by people seeking his advice. He loved singing with the Evergreen Singers and the Olds Hospital Volunteer Singers. He was a sought-after baseball umpire and certainly loved the game. He was also an avid (and very good) cribbage player, always seeking that elusive “29” hand.
Of the many things Peter enjoyed, his children always came first. He often told anyone who would listen that his daughter called him every Saturday from New York where she worked at the New York Botanical Gardens, following in his horticultural footsteps. He often spoke of his “son the professor” at the University of Southern Indiana who called every Sunday. Their lively talks often lasted more than an hour. How proud he was of them both! Of special happiness to Lisa and Steven was the sincere and deep friendship he maintained with their mother Margaret and her husband Bruce Erickson. It was in fact Margaret who was with Peter at the moment of his passing, providing comfort and companionship until the very end.
Special thanks and deep gratitude to Doctor Onsongo, the Emergency Department, and the Acute Care Unit of the Olds Hospital for their exceptional empathy and kindness. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made in Peter’s name to a charity of your choice. . A service will be held on June 4, 2022 at 2pm at the Trinity Lutheran Church, 5501 – 54 Ave, Ponoka, AB with Pastor Jay Lutz officiating. AB. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made directly to charity of choice.. Condolences may be made or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com
