Irina Orechovs nee Timoschuk

Predeceased by her parents George and Iulita Timoschuk, her husband Vadims Orechovs, and her siblings Nicholas, Alexander, Julia Horvath, Vera Marin and Walter Timoschuk. Survived by her daughter Helen Mazikins (Peter); granddaughters Katie, Natasha, and Sasha Mazikins; niece Irina Horvath (Randy Hetherington), Niece Anna Kalmar (Louis), nephew George Horvath, niece Helen Marin (Bashar Hakim); nephew Daniel Marin; nephew Andre Marin (Deborah Stewart); niece Natalie Pink; nephew Alexander Timoschuk (Danielle Desrosiers) as well as many grand nephews and nieces.

Irina was born in Pancevo, just outside of Belgrade. The second oldest of six children (Julia, Nicholas, Alexander, Vladimir and Vera) born to Lulita and George who had left their home in Ukraine shortly after the Bolshevik revolution. Serbia welcomed many Russian refugees at that time, even subsidizing Russian language schools. Her parents ran a produce stand in the market, so Irina often helped her busy mother care for the younger children. Her studies were cut short at the end of WWII, when all people of Russian origin were expulsed and sent to displaced persons camps. Two years later, Irina boarded a ship and began a new life in Canada. Then, she met Vadims Orechovs in the Russian community of Toronto and they built a happy life together for 43 years until he passed away. They were deeply in love and were a great couple!

Irina was a dedicated wife, mother and grandmother. She did everything with love, whether helping her husband with household projects, cooking delicious meals for her family, or making beautiful crocheted outfits for her grandchildren. Irina had a joyful and playful nature. She loved swinging high on park swings, playing badminton, ping pong, air hockey and Scrabble, watching game shows, snow tubing, riding roller coasters and racing her granddaughters to the elevator, well into her eighties! When she became a widow at the age of 70, she successfully obtained her driver’s license, a goal that she worked very hard to achieve! A perfectionist, she had high expectations of her family as well and could be quite strict and demanding. She was passionate about life and lived with great gusto. She had many friends in the Russian community, at her job in the university library and in the condo where she lived for 37 years. She passed on her love of the Russian language, literature and ethnic heritage to her only child, Helen. She loved to sing and could recite many poems by heart. She was beautiful but not vain. She never worried about getting older and said that there were good sides to every stage in life. Even in her advanced years, she insisted that she was young at heart.

Healthy and active until her 90th year when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Irina moved to Lynwood Park retirement home in Ottawa where she enjoyed singing in the choir, playing games and participating in the many social activities they provided. As her disease progressed, she had to move to another home, Robertson House, where they could keep her safe on a secure memory care floor. We are very thankful for the great care she received from the staff of both retirement homes where she lived at the end of her life. Even though her family was far away, weekly Zoom calls provided a great way to stay in touch. She lived a full life and died peacefully at Queensway-Carleton Hospital. We are grateful to the hospital staff for their kindness to Irina and her family.

The family will receive relatives and friends at McEvoy-Shields Funeral Home, 1411 Hunt Club Road (at Albion Road) on Monday, October 10, 2022 from 2-5 pm. A Funeral Service will be held at St. Xenia Russian Orthodox Church, 2 Colchester Square in Kanata on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at 1 pm. Interment Pinecrest Cemetery. She will be missed by all who knew her. May God keep her in eternal memory!