Obituary of Irene Novak

The family of Irene Novak, beloved wife of the late Dennis Novak, sadly announce her passing on Monday, March 28, 2022. She was 88 years of age. The Funeral Service will be held on Monday, April 4th at 10:30am at St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church with Father Leonid Malkov, CSsR presiding. The interment will follow in the Yorkton City Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. Mary's Building Fund or the Yorkton Regional Health Centre as gifts of remembrance. Some time during the weekend of March 26-27th, 2022, Irene laid herself down in her cozy little bed, in her cozy little house, that she loved so much, and quietly passed from this life to the next. Irene was born to Alexander and Elizabeth Kuhn in 1933 on the family farm near Estuary, Saskatchewan. She was the second of two children, arriving as a little sister for her big brother Alexander Junior. She attended elementary school in the Estuary area until the family moved a short distance to a new farm near Mendham, Saskatchewan. She continued her education at Keynote School in Mendham and later went on to graduate from high school at St. Angela’s Convent in Prelate, Saskatchewan. Irene was a German farm girl who grew up on a grain farm with chickens, ducks, geese, cattle and horses. She did all the chores a farm girl was supposed to do and could even drive a team of horses, often hauling grain to help out during harvest. These were hard times for many because of the depression and the War, but Irene was thankful that her family always seemed to have enough. After finishing high school in 1951, Irene left “little town” Saskatchewan to train as a nurse in the big city of Moose Jaw. One might worry about a small town girl moving to the big city, but as luck would have it, Big Brother Alex had become a police constable in Moose Jaw. According to Irene, Constable Kuhn ensured his little sister would have a very limited amount of “big brother approved” fun while in Moose Jaw. Irene graduated from the Registered Nurse’s Training Program at Moose Jaw’s Providence Hospital in 1954. She then moved to Yorkton to start her nursing career. No longer under the watchful eye of Big Brother Alex, Irene was able to get out a little. And that’s when the German farm girl met the dashing young Ukrainian farm boy/mechanic, Dennis Novak. After a whirlwind courtship of nearly six years (Dennis never rushed into anything), Irene and Dennis were married on September 3rd, 1960. In 1964, Irene and Dennis welcomed their only son Barry. After Barry arrived Irene continued to work at the Yorkton Union Hospital as an Emergency Department Nurse. When she wasn’t nursing, she enjoyed classes in ceramics, Chinese cooking and paper tooling. She also enjoyed entertaining family and friends during the holidays and on the weekends. It was often “Troika” night at Dennis and Irene’s little house and Irene was always a good and gracious hostess. She was a member of St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Parish and the U.C.W.L. Branch 2 for over 50 years. She retired from Nursing in 1996. Dennis and Irene lived together in their little house until Dennis entered the nursing home in 2019. Irene’s job then became visiting Dennis whenever possible until his passing in September of 2021, just after their 61st wedding anniversary. Irene looked after her little family with all the love and care a wife and mother could give. And when that family grew and she became a Mother-In-Law and a Baba and a Great Baba, the love expanded so that there was more than enough for everyone. Mom, we will miss your hugs. We will miss your phone calls on our birthdays. We will miss your perogies and your cabbage rolls and your icing-sugar-coated elephant ears. We will miss the way you were always so excited when we accomplished something and always so supportive when things didn’t work out. But most of all, we will just miss you. We know you had to go find Dad because you needed to be by his side again, but we wish you could have stayed with us just a little longer. Love always and forever from your son Barry, your daughter-in law Gaynor, Your grandsons Connor, Travis and Ethan, your granddaughter Ally and your great-grandchildren Braxton and Autumn (Connor’s children). Service Details. Service When: Monday, April 4th, 2022 10:30am Location: St. Mary's Ukrainian Catholic Church Address: 155 Catherine St. YORKTON, SK S3N 0B9 Interment Location: Yorkton City Cemetery Address: King St. East YORKTON, SK Online Memory & Photo Sharing Event Ongoing Online Event About this event In Loving Memory Of Irene Novak June 6, 1933 - March 28, 2022 Look inside to read what others have shared Family and friends are coming together online to create a special keepsake. Every memory left on the online obituary will be automatically included in this book. View Tribute Book