It is with profound sadness that our family announces the sudden passing of Walter Jackie Czekurlon on April 16, 2024, at the age of 71. Walter, of Mooretown, Ontario, born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, was a beloved husband of 47 years to Julie, father to Michael (Kelly) and Nicholas, grandfather to Avery and Izzy, and son to the late Helen and Stephen.
He was extremely proud of his Ukrainian ancestry and was very active with St. George’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sarnia, Ontario. Beginning in 1975, Walter spent most of his 40+ year career as a chemical engineer with Dow Chemical, where he was affectionately known as The Voice, the man on the phone who could solve any problem. This applied to all aspects of his life. Everything was a puzzle to be solved. No task, however small, was taken on without research, experimentation and understanding. There was always a better way to do things and that was the only way to do things. Mastery was the only satisfying result of any new endeavor and his post-retirement life brought on many new ones. The two-time Mr. Athlete in high school, he spent many days perfecting his skills on the pickleball courts. And he found new experimentation grounds in the kitchen, aiming to master breadmaking, sushi and Japanese knife sharpening. He took immense pride in these learned skills and even more so in sharing the fruits of them. It filled him with great joy in his final years, spending time on the open road with Julie, driving his motorcoach across the country from coast to coast, reuniting with family, friends and old classmates along the way.
The doors were always open, and food was always on the table. Seemingly, the only problem The Voice couldn’t solve was how to carry a tune, but even that couldn’t stop him from becoming a karaoke champion, thanks to the unbridled enthusiasm and unwavering confidence he carried with him throughout his life. Walter’s voice will be greatly missed but will forever remain in the hearts and minds of all whose lives he touched.
Funeral Mass will be held at St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church, 560 West 14th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, on Friday, April 26th, at 10:30am. Services will be available via livestream at https://www.legacystreaming.com/kearney/ Interment will take place privately at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a charitable donation to the Maple Hope Foundation (https://www.maplehopefoundation.org/donate/) is appreciated, to support those impacted by the war in Ukraine. Please choose designation for Medical Supplies.