In Celebration of
Anastasia Belbas
January 6, 1915 -
November 26, 2019
In the early morning of November 26th 2019, just shy of her 105th birthday, Anastasia Belbas (nee Sokoluk) passed away peacefully.
Beloved wife of the late Wasyl Belbas, loving mother to Elizabeth (the late Steve Bokla), adoring grandmother to Lesia (William Petruck) and James (Lorraine De Acetis) and her great grandchildren, Alexandra, Mitchell, Lucas and Brianne.
Anastasia was the first of 4 children born to her parents Maria and Konstantine Sokoluk. She was born in the small village of Hanusowce in Western Ukraine on Christmas Eve (January 6, 1915).
When Anastasia was 6, her father left the family to work at an outpost in Manitoba for CN Rail. Five years later, her mother and siblings travelled across the Atlantic where they were reunited in Canada in 1927.
In January 1935, Anastasia married her beloved husband Wasyl. They then moved to Souris Manitoba where their daughter Elizabeth soon followed.
In 1942, they moved to Toronto. That same week, they became members of St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Parish. Both Anastasia and Wasyl became active members of the Parish by volunteering and sitting on many administrative committees. They worked hard fundraising in order to build the beautiful cathedral that continues to serve the community today.
When Wasyl passed away in 1973, Anastasia filled her time caring for her adoring grandchildren. Her grandchildren were her everything. She continued volunteering as President of the Ukrainian Women’s League and President of the National Women’s KYK Organization. She was an avid baker, gardener and family matriarch.
In 2000, Anastasia was very proud to be among the first Canadians to receive the Ontario Volunteer award for 50 years of service.
Anastasia remained fiercely independent, living in her own house until the age of 99.
In 2014, she moved to the Ukrainian Canadian Care Centre where Dr. Bitonti and the wonderful staff whose compassion and professional care helped her live the remainder of her years in a warm, spiritual and home-like Ukrainian setting. Her presence will be greatly missed by all.
Mother, Baba and friend will be dearly missed.
Visitation: Thursday November 28th, 2019 from 4:00pm-8:00pm at Turner & Porter, Yorke Chapel, 2357 Bloor Street W, M6S 1P4. Panahyda 5:30pm.
The funeral service will take place on Friday November 29th, 2019 at 1:00pm
St. Volodymyr Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, 400 Bathurst Street, Toronto, M5T 2S6