Victoria Charnetski (nee Nickifor)

April 28, 1932–April 28, 2018

It is with deep sadness that we announce that Victoria "Vickie" Charnetski passed away peacefully on her 86th birthday, at her home in Mississauga with her children by her side. Mom faced cancer with incredible courage and dignity—while it took her life, it did not diminish her loving, generous, and kind spirit or her sense of humour.

Vickie will be forever cherished by her beloved husband of 57 years, Roman, by her children Karen (Steve), Robert (Robin), Lorri (late Robert), and Kelly (Daryn), as well as by her loving grandchildren Kaitlyn, Kevin, Cameron, and Harrison. She is survived by her sister Kay (Harvey) Stark, her brother Nick (Sylvia) Nickifor, and her brother-in-law Walter Fedorak, as well as many nieces, nephews and extended family members. Vickie is predeceased by her parents, Nikolai and Katie (Serbu) Nickifor, brothers Johnny and Tom Nickifor, and sisters Mary Bezuko and Ann Fedorak.

Vickie married Roman in Edmonton, Alberta, after a brief courtship. They made their first home in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where Karen and Rob were born. When Roman was transferred to Ontario to join the Hudson’s Bay Company buying team, they settled in Mississauga, where Lorri and then Kelly came along. Mom returned to working life when her children were older, and enjoyed working at Canada Post, where she made many good friends, especially her dearest companion Eva.

Vickie was a devoted mother who dedicated her life to raising her children, and, later, to caring for Roman with extraordinary patience as dementia set in. Mom would spend countless hours (sometimes days) preparing delicious meals for her family. She was an avid baker, her kitchen always a bustling scene as her mixer and oven produced delicious batches of cinnamon buns, Easter Paska, chocolate cake, and oatmeal cookies. Her homemade strawberry jam was a much-loved staple in the Charnetski household.

Heritage was very important to Mom, and she instilled in all of us the importance of celebrating culinary traditions through her preparation of elaborate meals. Her top achievement was a 13-dish Ukrainian Christmas meal that would make any Baba proud. Vickie took such pleasure in seeing her family around the dinner table, and friends were always welcomed with open arms to share in our celebrations. Looking back, we know these gatherings were not just about the food. Mom was teaching us the value of family time and togetherness that has resulted in our close bond. We will be forever grateful to her for that.

Vickie was fiercely proud of her grandchildren. She would delight in all of their various activities and achievements. Seeing her only granddaughter, Kaitlyn, embark on her first year of university at Western made Mom beam with pride. And she was thrilled to attend her grandsons’ hockey games, cheering on Kevin, Cameron, and Harrison from the stands. She spent a great amount of time getting to know each of her precious grandkids, and took a strong interest in their lives.

Vickie (“Tody”) also had wonderful relationships with her sisters and brother residing in Alberta and British Columbia. Mounting long-distance bills did not discourage Mom from having lengthy chit-chats with her sisters Ann and Kay and brother Nick. Vickie was also a wonderful sister-in-law to John (Shirley), Bill (Emily), and Marian (late Ron), and the times that Marian came for extended visits with Vickie and Roman were some of her happiest in recent years.

The simplest pleasures brought Vickie great joy. When she wasn’t working on a challenging crossword or Sudoku puzzle at the kitchen table, Mom could be found puttering in the garden, tending to her backyard oasis of roses, peonies, and strawberries. In summer months, you would find Mom out back with Roman, enjoying a glass of wine and reading the newspaper. Being night owls, these two could often be found at their patio table long after sundown, enjoying a nightcap under the stars. Roman and Vickie treasured each other and their love will last forever.

Vickie loved to be on the move. A car ride in the country, a trip to the mall for the best Bay Day deal, or travelling to far-away destinations like China with Roman at her side made Vickie so content. Her passion for food and travel were gloriously intertwined when Vickie would pack up an entire Thanksgiving turkey dinner destined for Uncle Victor’s Farm, where we would feast under the oak trees with a roaring bonfire, and rum and cider in our mugs. No matter the trip, Vickie travelled with style—she was always elegantly dressed with her hair curled and lipstick applied. Sometimes, getting ready to go to No Frills would take her over an hour.

Vickie also loved a good party, or “bender.” During our teen years, it wasn’t unusual for us kids to invite Mom to attend the parties we threw with our friends. Mom always enjoyed dressing up and staying up late socializing and tapping her feet to great music. We are so happy that a week before Mom passed away, she was in the mood for a party and we celebrated an early 86th birthday!

Vickie was always a source of support to her friends and children, especially during challenging times, such as the loss of Lorri’s husband, Rob. Vickie faced her own health challenges with great courage. For most of her adult life she coped with excruciating pain. She battled breast cancer and then bone cancer with superhuman strength and unwavering grace.

Over the past year, Mom forged special friendships with her support group. We are so fortunate to have had the most incredible caregivers to help our mom—Amy, Ann, and Phen as well as Alicja. Vickie loved their company, laughter, and help with cooking and baking. It gave Mom great ease of mind to see them take such great care of Dad. Vickie also welcomed visits by Julianna, who provided wonderful personal care to her and to Dad.

During the last two weeks of her life, Vickie received compassionate palliative care from nurses CiCi and Dianna, along with a rotating crew of support workers who always made Mom comfortable. Dr. Besik provided exceptional palliative support and guidance to all of us. In these days spent at her bedside, Roman and her children and caregivers were blessed to share conversation, laughs, songs, and our favourite memories with her, and to say goodbye - “temporarily,” Roman would say.

Vickie was a remarkable woman. The best mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. We will all remember her for her bubbly personality, loving heart, and infectious smile. It is so difficult to imagine a world without our Mom, our sweet Vickie. She will live on in our hearts forever, and in the beautiful memories we have created with her.

A service to honour Vickie will be held on Sunday, May 27th at 1 p.m. at the Turner and Porter funeral home located at 2180 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, followed by a memorial visitation from 2–4 p.m. If desired, donations may be made to The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation by telephone 416-946-6560 (select option 1) or online at www.thepmcf.ca.