Marie Porcina

April 10, 1919 – December 1, 2010

Marie Porcina (Gowryluk) born in Kaleland AB entered into eternal rest at Maplewood House in Abbotsford BC after a long illness following cancer treatments. Marie served in the CWAC Postal Corp during WWII and carried on through most of her working career at Canada Post. Her significant talents of knitting, sewing, quilting and gardening were greatly appreciated by her family and churches she attended in Vancouver, Kelowna and Abbotsford. She is lovingly remembered by her daughter Sharon (Mike), grandchildren David (Ally), Chantelle (Matthew), great-grandchildren Jordon, Anneya, Elias and her brother Paul (Eileen). She is predeceased by her brothers Larry, John, Steve and grandson Jordon.

A celebration of life will be held at Henderson’s Langley Funeral Home 20786 Fraser Highway Langley, Tuesday December 14 at 1 pm. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to BC Cancer Society. Please visit www.hendersonslangleyfunerals.com to leave your condolences and memories.

Arrangements under the direction of Henderson's Langley Funeral Home, Langley, BC.

EULOGY

MARIE PORCINA

APRIL 10, 1919 – DECEMBER 1, 2010

On April 10, 1919, in Kaleland, northeastern Alberta, Marie was born to parents, Samuel Porcina of Tremboli, Austria and Anna Chaikowsky of Kiev, Chernopal, Ukraine. Sam and Anna met in Winnipeg, were married, and in 1910 settled and farmed in Alberta. Marie was the 6th of seven children, Alec, Annie, Larry, John, Steve and Paul. She spoke very fondly of life on the farm despite the hard work. One of her daily chores was to help milk the cows and herd them out to pasture on her way to school; a 2 ½ mile walk. She cried when she had to leave school to work on the farm after completing grade 8. Marie loved being outdoors and loved nature. One day she was told to fetch the cows home from the fields but she ended up sitting under a tree daydreaming. It got so late that her brothers were sent out to find her. When she and cows were rounded up and brought home she was scolded because the cows were in distress from being overdue for milking.

In 1941 Marie left the farm and in 1942 joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corps and was stationed in Ottawa at the base post office as Lance Corporal Porcina. She was discharged in 1945 and worked at the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa in the gift shop. No truer words were ever spoken when, on a lark, Marie visited a gypsy fortuneteller at the circus who pronounced that her life would be an “open suitcase”. Around 1951 she moved to Vancouver to work in the downtown Eaton’s store accounts department. One year later a friend suggested she should work for the government so she would have a good pension and benefits. This began her 18-year career working for Canada Post. She first served at the main Post Office in the remittance cage and became very adept at adding long columns of figures in her head.

In 1953, while she was still living in Vancouver, she gave birth to a baby girl, Sharon. Marie was a very independent and strong willed woman and decided she would raise her daughter on her own after a very brief unsupported marriage. With borrowed money from friends she bought her very first tiny home on East Hastings in North Burnaby. Even though she loved all animals, there was only a long line of pet budgies which all ended up with the name “PeeWee”. Marie’s love of nature and growing things was an important part of her life and she spent much of her spare time perfecting her gardens, especially her roses. She was also an excellent knitter and seamstress and adorned Sharon and her Barbie dolls with many beautiful outfits and continued to do the same for her grandchildren, David and Chantelle.

Marie never put roots down for very long and moved to various places in Burnaby, 6 times until 1965, when she ended up back in Vancouver. It was then she finally got her first car. It was also about this time that she gave her heart to Jesus and accepted Him as her Lord and Saviour at a Leighton Ford Crusade. Marie and Sharon found a spiritual home at St Margaret’s Church in Vancouver where they made some life-long friends and grew in their faith. A few years later her health started to fail and she retired in 1971 with a disability pension. Marie continued to move a few more times and ended up in Kelowna were she lived for 23 years, again moving around approximately 11 times. This included a move to Langley after a major car accident and back to Kelowna after she recovered. In Kelowna, she involved herself in women’s ministries at Evangel Church, was on the prayer chain and volunteered at the Kelowna Hospital in the gift shop. Marie loved to drive, especially through Manning Park, to visit her family back in Langley. She was fond of saying she had made that trip driving every month of the year. Likewise she enjoyed having her family come up in summer and Christmas to share her beautiful “sunshiney” Kelowna.

In 1997 Marie was diagnosed with cancer. Even though the cancer was eradicated through chemotherapy and radiation treatments, the cure ended up being the catalyst that brought her excruciating pain and suffering. Through these debilitating challenges, Marie called out to God and although there was no physical healing, her faith and love for Jesus remained constant. In 2002 she came back to the lower mainland to be near her family and lived in congregate housing to maintain her independence. When she was no longer able to care for herself she entered into a care home, Maplewood House in Abbotsford for the last 5 years of her life. Her physical battles took away much of the quality of her life but she still managed, with the aid of her walker and then wheelchair, to join in activities like bingo, indoor bocce ball, and a hand bell choir (she was the note C). She continued a slow decline and was bedridden for the last year of her life until her passing into the presence of her Lord on Dec. 1, 2010.

Marie is predeceased by her parents, 5 of her 7 siblings: Alec, Annie, Larry, John and Steve and by her grandson, Jordon. She will be missed by her daughter Sharon, son-in-law, Mike, grandchildren: David and Chantelle and their spouses Ally and Matthew and her great-grandchildren: Jordon, Anneya and Elias. Although we mourn her loss, we rejoice over her graduation to glory, where she is pain free and living in the presence of her Lord and Saviour.