Mrs. Agnes Emma (née Jan) Babak

With deep love and gratitude, the family of Agnes Emma Babak (née Jan) shares that she passed away peacefully in the early morning of December 7, 2025. Just weeks from her 102nd birthday, Agnes left this world surrounded by comfort and the people who cherished her.

Agnes was born on December 26, 1923. Deaf from birth, she grew up curious, playful and quietly determined. At eight years old she attended the Saskatoon School for the Deaf, where she formed friendships that would last her lifetime.

After finishing school, Agnes met Bill Babak during a group outing. He accompanied her on the bus ride home, a simple moment that led to an everlasting love. They married on July 5, 1949. Their life together took them from Saskatoon to Foam Lake, where Bill became a bakery owner. When they opened a new bakery with a coffee shop in 1967, Agnes worked beside him with steady warmth. The community embraced them so fully that many learned sign language to speak with her. She poured her energy into the Lioness Club, the bakery, and most of all, her daughter, Faye.

In 1989 Agnes returned to Saskatoon to be closer to Faye and her growing family. She was predeceased by her four siblings, her husband Bill and her grandson Stefan.

She leaves behind her daughter Faye Tomlinson and son-in-law Doug Tomlinson, her granddaughters Joelle and Natalya Tomlinson, their spouses Brad Posehn and Julian Schumann, and her treasured great-granddaughter Thea Agnes Tomlinson.

As a grandmother, Agnes was a constant and joyful presence. She showed up at every sporting event (unless an important curling game was on) and proudly attended countless music competitions. She always told her grandchildren how beautifully they played, even though she could not hear a note. They believed her entirely, of course.

Agnes found joy in small things. She loved reading, sewing, time outdoors, sweets of any kind and a spirited game of cribbage. She was quick to tears of joy and easily recognized by the twinkle in her eyes and her contagious laugh. And every Christmas, she insisted all gifts came from “Santa,” a tradition she kept faithfully.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Foam Lake Community Hall or the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

Agnes lived a long and meaningful life filled with resilience, humour and love. She will be remembered for her generosity of spirit, her resilience and the warmth she shared so freely with everyone fortunate enough to know her.