Mary Wanzuk (nee Levcik)

Mary Wanzuk (nee Levcik), age 62, passed away peacefully on Thursday, March 5, 2020 with her family by her side.

Mary was born in Fort William on June 7, 1957 to the late Josef and Pauline Levcik. Mary attended St. Jude’s and Selkirk High School, where she met the love of her life Paul Wanzuk. Paul and Mary were married on September 17, 1977. They went on to raise three beautiful children, Jason, Tara and Brandi. In 1978, Mary started a lifelong career with the MNR. She started out driving the tractor at 25th Sideroad as the crew planted the trees that now fill the property. Mary was an exceptionally hard worker, leading her to an office position where she took post-secondary courses to become a Purchasing Officer. She continued to work until June of 2019 at the Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research. Mary loved her job and all the people she met along the way.

When Mary’s children were young, hockey was a large part of their family life, and she was a crazy hockey mom, cheering on her son’s teams and building many lifelong friendships along the way. When Mary wasn’t freezing in a hockey rink, she loved to sew, knit, bake, camp, hang out by the pool and enjoy the beautiful summer weather with her family. With the birth of her first grandchild, Alexander, Mary found true joy – being a grandmother. She went on to be gifted with six more grandchildren, Chris, Ayla, Avery and Austin Wanzuk and Connor and Chloe Shewchuk. These seven children became the focus of Mary’s life, and she became their number one fan. She loved nothing more than having her family around, and as the children got older, Mary found herself once again becoming a crazy hockey grandma. The impact Mary had on her children and grandchildren was remarkable, and her loving spirit will live on through them.

Mary is survived by her husband Paul, son Jason (Raegan) Wanzuk, daughters Tara (Curtis) Shewchuk and Brandi Wanzuk; grandchildren Alex, Avery, Connor, Chris, Austin, Chole and Ayla; sisters Margaret Fraser, Diane (Danny) Ames, Kathy (Tony) Pirone; sisters-in-law Pauline (Aldo) Bisignano, and Deanna Zullianello; and brothers-in-law Nick (Judy), Bill, Mike (Pat), and Dennis (Marsha) Wanzuk; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mary was predeceased by her parents Pauline and Josef Levcik; her in-laws Anne and George Wanzuk; brothers-in-law George Wanzuk Jr, John Biley, and Dorion Fraser; sisters-in-law Mary Anne Peltola, Judy Biley and Barbara Rahmer and nephew Jason Biley.

Family, friends and others whose lives Mary touched are invited to join in a Celebration of her Life on Thursday, March 12, 2020 at 10:30am in the WESTFORT CHAPEL, 420 West Gore Street at James. If so desired, donations in Mary’s memory to the Northern Cancer Fund (payable to TBRHSF) would be greatly appreciated.

A limb has fallen from our Family Tree
That says grieve not for me.
Remember the best times, the laughter, the song,
The GOOD LIFE I lived when I was strong.