Gloria Katherine Chomiak Atamanenko
April 28, 1932 - October 12, 2017
Gloria Katherine Chomiak Atamanenko, age 85, went peacefully to her rest on Thursday, October 12, 2017 at Deni House in Williams Lake, attended throughout her stay by her loving husband of 60 years, George Atamanenko, and by her loving son, Peter.
From her birth in Fort Vermilion, Alberta on April 28, 1932 to her passing on Thursday she nourished people around her with love, generosity, and a caring, joyful spirit.
Gloria was born on a farm near Fort Vermilion to Peter and Nellie (Pikulik) Chomiak and was the eldest of six children. She left the farm at age 15 to attend high school in Wilmington, Delaware and to care for her uncle. After graduating from high school, she attended the respected Quaker school, Swarthmore College in Wilmington.
Following her training, she began her career as a social worker in Williams Lake, BC with her fiance George, who had been attracted to her radiant beauty, cheerful spirit, enthusiasm for literature and thoughtful discussion, and love of nature during a summer visit to the farm at Rocky Lane.
Gloria and George married on August 10, 1957 in Vancouver, BC and settled in Cariboo Country at Williams Lake. Following the birth of their first son, Boris, the young couple moved to Vancouver, Edmonton, AB and finally Victoria, BC in 1963. Their son, Peter, was born there in 1965 and the family remained in Victoria until 1994, when Gloria and George returned to the Cariboo to take up ranching at 150 Mile House, BC. Although Gloria suffered a stroke in 2006, which left her partially paralyzed, she remained determined to be active in home life and in social causes.
Left to honour Gloria and remember her love are her husband, George; two sons, Boris (Bev) and Peter; grandchildren, Cassi and Rowan; brother, Peter (Carmen) Chomiak; sisters, Alice (Duane) Monroe, Lillian Chomiak, and Sonia Abramyk; many nieces and nephews; and her brother-in-law, Alex (Ann) Atamanenko.
Gloria was preceded in her passing by her parents and by her sister, Eugenia Lutz. She will be remembered as a bright, shining light and a fierce but compassionate advocate for those less fortunate, in the various communities and where she lived and worked.
The Atamanenko family will invite relatives and friends to join in a Celebration of Gloria's Life in the springtime of 2018 in Williams Lake.
The family would like to extend our gratitude to all the staff at the Williams Lake Hospital; specifically those at the Deni House Adult Day Program, and Respite Care and Palliative Care units for their attentiveness and loving care.
In lieu of flowers, donations or memorials may be made in Gloria's name to the Cariboo Friendship Society, the Cariboo Chilcotin Child Development Centre Association, or to St. Andrew's United Church in Williams Lake.
Cariboo-Chilcotin Funeral Services entrusted with the arrangements.
Condolences can be sent to the family care of cariboochilcotinfuneralservice@gmail.com.
Cariboo-Chilcotin Funeral Services