Marilyn Wichuk

“Tell me, what is it that you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver

It is with sadness that the family of Marilyn Wichuk announce her passing on February 19, 2025. Marilyn is survived by her husband John, daughter Karen (Tim), son Randal (Mehgan), grandchildren Gretchen, Vivienne and Rowan, honourary grandchild Caitlin, brother Don, sister Susan, and numerous other family members and friends. Marilyn is predeceased by her parents Mary and Bernie Belluz, and brother David Belluz.

Marilyn has been described by family and friends as a “trailblazer”, and true to form she arrived six weeks early, born on April 1, 1942, in Fort William, Ontario. At the time of her birth, Marilyn’s father was working away from home, and he thought the telephone call announcing the birth of his first child was an April Fool’s Day joke. Marilyn grew up on the family farm in Slate River Valley and would often talk about working in the potato fields as a child and teenager.

Friends and community were important to Marilyn from an early age. Marilyn was always quick to share a smile and as a child made lifelong friends, who in her later years she would visit when she returned “home” to the valley to spend time with family. As a young person she participated in 4-H and Canadian Girls in Training (CGIT), and was known to keep her ukelele on hand and be ready to lead singing around the fire at Junior Farmers events.

Marilyn was born to be a teacher, and after high school entered teachers’ college. While teaching in the Thunder Bay area, Marilyn and a girlfriend responded to an ad in a local newspaper looking for teachers in the small hamlet of Seba Beach, Alberta. The two packed up a car and in the summer of 1965 drove across the country on an extraordinary adventure. It was there, on the other side of Wabamun Lake in the hamlet of Wabamun, that Marilyn met John.

Marilyn and John married on August 3, 1968, and started building their life, home, and family together. They welcomed two children, Karen and Randal, and from that time on Marilyn focused her efforts on her family and contributing to building community in Wabamun. Marilyn was a staple parent volunteer at the Wabamun School, she was a leader in the Wabamun community club and volunteered her time at bingos and in the concession at the Wabamun arena to raise money. Her faith was important to Marilyn and she attended the Wabamun United Church where she also taught Sunday School and sang in the choir.

Once the kids were in school Marilyn returned to work, first as a teacher’s assistant in the Wabamun Storyland Kindergarten and then as a pre-school teacher for four-year olds. She spent hours creating her classroom and preparing lessons and activities for the day. It was Marilyn’s strong belief in public education that led her to run for the Parkland School Division where she became a valued school board trustee for many years. Similarly, it was her commitment to community building that initiated her dipping her toe in the water to run for the Village of Wabamun Council, where she worked diligently to improve life for residents in the Village.

Marilyn loved music, reading, crafts, going for walks, her flower and vegetable gardens, and epic road trips “home” with her cousin Barb. She and John were often spotted outside puttering, or just enjoying, their garden and yard in the spring and summer. She was an avid golfer and could regularly be found on the green with John or her many friends. Marilyn was famous for her Christmas cake and raspberry jam, and for her yearly wine and cheese parties. Marilyn and John enjoyed golfing holidays across western Canada, fishing, going to “the farm”, watching the Oilers’ on tv, Dairy Queen blizzards, and simply just doing the dishes together.

Marilyn deeply loved, and was very proud of her children, and supported them however she could. She instilled in them her sense of community and the importance of family and friends. She taught them about kindness, courage, respect and hard work. It is through them that Marilyn’s grandchildren will know her.

In the mid-2000s, Marilyn was diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia. She approached the diagnosis with awe-inspiring courage. In 2010, Marilyn’s family made the difficult decision to move Marilyn into Capital Care Grandview in Edmonton. It was there, true to form, that Marilyn embraced her new community and taught so many about what it means to have a meaningful relationship with someone with dementia. Whether participating in the Run for the Brave, happy hour on Fridays, the music programs, pastoral care programs, the gazebo garden, or the many other activities, Marilyn built relationships and endeared herself to staff and caregivers.

Marilyn’s family would like to thank those people who surrounded her with love and kindness on her dementia journey. Thank you to Dr. Franke and the staff and caregivers at Grandview for their dedication to Marilyn’s care and quality of life. And a special thank you to those family members and friends who stayed by Marilyn’s side throughout her dementia. Your visits, letters, card, gifts, phone calls, facetimes and texts from here at home, and across the miles, will never be forgotten. And to Barb, Marilyn’s guardian angel through it all.

A celebration of life will be held Friday, August 15, 2025 at 1:30PM at Heritage Park, 5100 41 Avenue, Stony Plain, in the Spruce Grove Hall.

The family has set up an email account for anyone who would like to receive information regarding the celebration of life. Please email [email protected] and the family will provide you with details. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Marilyn’s name to Capital Care Grandview, directing gifts to the recreation therapy program.