Samuel Wishlow

Samuel Wishlow was born to Russian immigrants in a breezy farmhouse near Canora, Saskatchewan on January 11, 1923. For 90 years, Sam walked this planet with his own unique sense of rhythm, style and humour. Few who knew him can ever imagine him crawling. With Sam it was always about motion and lots of it. On March 10, 2013 that motion came to a screeching halt. Silence. And, for those of us he touched, a moment to ponder, think, reflect on all the motion. There was purpose in his stride. He may not have taken much time to reflect. But he did, he built and he engaged in ways that made a positive difference in the lives of others. Sam spent a big part of his life as a teacher, picking up two degrees from the University of Saskatchewan along the way. His compassion for his students and penchant for the theatric was legendary among those he taught. It was not uncommon for Sam to stand on a chair or a desktop to make a point. In the years following retirement, he would regularly tutor university students in advanced algebra and calculus. He also turned his practical experience in the classroom into leadership and oversight as a school trustee. He did all of this with zeal and conviction. For Sam teaching was part of a broader commitment to church and community – whether it was in Sturgis, Nipawin, Wilkie or Saskatoon. For Sam, rights demanded responsibilities to help others. Together with his wife Elva, Sam was part of the grassroots fight for publicly insured medical care in Saskatchewan. In later years, he volunteered as an ambulance attendant and served on the board of a group home for the physically and mentally challenged. Always present was Sam’s motion. When he wasn’t moving people forward, he was building and making things. He built a cottage in the woods from scratch. No kit for Sam. When he wasn’t building things, he was making quilts, painting his own personal works of art, growing gardens or just fashioning new creations with duct tape. The motion was infectious – for some dizzying, for others inspirational. Ninety years after his birth in a humble farmhouse, Sam’s motion has come to rest. Sam is survived by his sister Mary Tunrbull; son Kevin Wishlow; daughter Jane Geddes; and grandchildren Isabella Wishlow, Danielle Kuntz; Mathew Kuntz, Derek Kuntz and Marc Kuntz. A Viewing will be held on Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Acadia-McKague’s Funeral Centre. There will be a Graveside Service held on Friday, March 15, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at Woodlawn Cemetery, Saskatoon, SK with lunch to follow at Acadia-McKague’s Funeral Centre, 915 Acadia Drive. Arrangements have been entrusted to Amanda Williams of Acadia-McKague’s Funeral Centre 306-955-1600.