Helene Ann Harshman

Halia "Helene" Anna "Ann" Harshman (nee Boychuk) passed away on Sunday, August 30, 2015 at Southwood Hospice at age 84. Helene was born in Alvena, SK on December 22, 1930. She was predeceased by her husband of over 40 years Fred; parents Ann and Alex Boychuk; infant brother Michael and sister Helen; her beloved brother Victor in 2004; and her beloved sister Lesia Stadnyk in 2015. She is survived by her son David, of Saskatoon; sisters Mary Kindrachuk and Anne (Albert) Hrytzak, and step-mother Olga Boychuk, all of Saskatoon; and many nieces and nephews. Helene received her elementary education in Alvena, and attended high school in Cudworth and Saskatoon. This was followed by Teachers College in Saskatoon. She taught briefly in the North Battleford area and in 1950 married Orest Sawchuk. She then took a three year Psychiatric Nurses Training Course and worked at the North Battleford Hospital in Saskatchewan for the next ten years. Divorced in 1962, Helene attended the University of Saskatchewan where she received her Liberal Arts degree in 1966. She then attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver where she received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Social Work. She met and married her life partner and soulmate Fred Harshman in 1968. They welcomed their son David Bertram Harshman into their family in 1970. Helene’s working career covered 25 years of service with the Department of Public Health in Saskatchewan which included Psychiatric Nursing; Chief Social Worker at the Moose Jaw Psychiatric Center, and MacNeil Clinic in Saskatoon; as well as Clinical Therapist at the Sasktoon and Regina Mental Health Clinics. In 1999 Helene and Fred retired permanently to Calgary where they lived a quiet comfortable life surrounded by loving family. A Funeral Service will be held at FOSTER’S GARDEN CHAPEL, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Monday, September 14, 2015 at 10:00 a.m. If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made directly to Canadian Mental Health, Association, c/o Sarah Smith, National Director for Fund Development, Suite 2301-180 Dundas Street West, Toronto ON M5G 1Z8 or on-line at www.cmha.ca. Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family via the website www.fostersgardenchapel.ca