Obituary of Lawrence Stefanowich
Lawrence was born on May 20, 1947 on the family farm near Sturgis, Saskatchewan to George and Mary Stefanowich (nee Boychuk). He was the eldest of 10 children. He spent his school years attending the Woodlight county school in the Sturgis district.
Lawrence met Shirley Chernowchan from Endeavour and after some time together they got married on the 14th day of May, 1977 in Preeceville. Following their marriage, Lawrence and Shirley were blessed with two sons, Sheldon and Shawn. Some of Lawrence’s happiest moments were when Sheldon and Shawn were born and at different events throughout the years as they grew up.
Lawrence worked various jobs throughout his younger years, including working at bush camps and hauling fuel for the railway at Canora Gateway Co-op. After getting married, Lawrence and Shirley moved to Calgary where he learned the drywall trade. Following learning his trade, they moved back to Canora and started their own business, Lorne’s Painting & Drywall. Lawrence and Shirley owned and operated their business for 30 years.
Outside of his own business, Lawrence drove a school bus for the Good Spirit School Division for over 30 years. Driving bus for the kids became more of a hobby than a job for Lawrence, as he would always talk about things his kids were doing and stories they would tell him.
Family was important to Lawrence as he always looked forward to the time, he could spend with them during the holiday season and other events like family weddings, including Sheldon’s wedding in August of 2022. He will forever be remembered for his happy nature, always smiling and waving at people. He spent a lot of his free time enjoying different sports such as hockey and football. He would never miss a game whenever the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Saskatchewan Roughriders were playing. Other favourite pastimes included going out hunting, fishing and golfing whenever he had a chance.
Lawrence was predeceased by his parents, George & Mary Stefanowich, his brother Jim Stefanowich and his sister Linda Kosar. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Shirley Stefanowich, his two sons Sheldon Stefanowich (Lisa), Shawn Stefanowich (Emily), his brother Ed Stefanowich (Matilda), his brother Pat Stefanowich (Olette), his brother Anton Stefanowich (Shelly), his brother Gary Stefanowich (Shelly), his sister Diane Fialkowski (Karl), his sister Shirley Tress (Ken), his sister Carol Toffan (Chris) and many more nieces and nephews and other extended family members.
Memorial donations may be made to the Cancer Foundation of Saskatchewan at 200-4545 Parliament Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan S4W 0G3 or to the SPCA, 79 7th Avenue South, Yorkton, Saskatchewan S3N 3V1 as gifts of remembrance.
