It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Ulana Lydia Kopystansky. Ulana passed away peacefully surrounded by family on Friday, April 14, 2023 just shy of her 63rd birthday after a year-long journey with cancer.

Ulana was born on April 17, 1960 in Toronto. She was a bright light in the lives of all who knew her. Growing up, Ulana was very close with her friends and family at home in Toronto and within the Ukrainian community, as well as with her many aunts, uncles and cousins in the US who she often visited. She further expanded her wide network of friends at the University of Saskatchewan, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 1983.

Ulana opened Swansea Village Pharmacy in 1993 and quickly became a well-known and much-loved staple of the Bloor West Village community. She was extremely passionate about her work, and she was driven by the opportunity to help people in her community every day. She loved simply chatting with the people who walked through the door, and felt a deep sense of purpose in being known as "the friendly neighbourhood pharmacist."

In 2010, Ulana celebrated her 50th birthday by buying herself a road bike and began training for a cross-Canada bike ride, the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride which she would then complete twice. In the process, she also raised over $100,000 for children’s cancer research, a cause close to her heart. Her cross-Canada bike rides in September of 2010 and in 2015 took 17 days, each starting with her back bike tire in the Pacific ocean and ending with her front tire in the Atlantic. While cycling across Canada, she also visited multiple children’s cancer centres along the way. She formed close connections with members in her “wheel family” that she maintained for the rest of her life.

Ulana was known as the ‘Mama Bear’ to all, but she was especially proud to be Mama to her two daughters, Taissa and Adriana. She loved watching them grow, worked hard to pass on Ukrainian values and traditions to them, and was grateful that they were able to experience the closeness of family that she experienced as a child. She was always there for them, supporting them in all of their endeavours. Whether it was Taissa’s gymnastic competitions, or Adia’s dance recitals and volleyball tournaments, Ulana could always be found cheering them on. She was a rock for her entire family during Taissa’s cancer journey and while she was extremely affected by Taissa’s passing, she remained a beacon of hope and light for all those around her. This was especially true for her daughter Adia, with whom she shared a special bond and very close friendship.

Ulana is pre-deceased by her daughter Taissa and her parents Maria and George. She is survived by her daughter Adriana, brothers Myron and Borys (Hanusia), her Teta Nadia Tuka and many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins in Canada, the US and Ukraine.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to one of the following two causes, both of which were close to Ulana's heart:

CampfireCircle (formerly Camp Ooch and Camp Trillium):
https://support.campfirecircle.org/in-honour/in-memory-of-ulana-kopystansky

=OR=

Canada Ukraine Foundation:
https://www.cufoundation.ca/