June Miller

June Miller (nee Skrybalo)

June 15th, 1937 – June 18th, 2019

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of June Miller (nee Skrybalo) on June 18th, 2019 after a courageous battle with cancer. Mom faced her illness with courage and lived her life to the fullest.

Mom was born Elsie Julia Skrybalo on June 15th, 1937 in Winnipeg, Manitoba to Peter and Anne Skrybalo. Her childhood nickname was “Lizzie” and somewhere along the way she became know as June. With her big brother Steve, she grew up in the North End of Winnipeg, attended Strathcona Elementary School, Isaac Newton High School and finally Success Business College. In her “spare time” she attended Ukrainian School, studied Ukrainian dancing and learned to play the violin and mandolin. Her passion for music carried on for her entire life as she continued to play the mandolin for various orchestras throughout the years.

Mom married Ed Miller on June 10th, 1961. It was not long before her true calling came along when she welcomed the birth of her first child, Glenn, followed a couple years later by Douglas. From that day forward her real career of “Mom” and caregiver to her parents began. Mom was a lifelong member of the Ukrainian Labour Temple in the North End of Winnipeg where she was a member of the Winnipeg Mandolin orchestra ensemble and the Trembita Dance Orchestra. There was not a tea, concert or event that Mom was not involved in… from working in the kitchen to playing her mandolin… she was there.

Mom loved spending winters in Florida where she not only took refuge from Canadian winters, she taught many of her neighbours how to make perogies and cabbage rolls. She also found those optimal times to scavenge those “all important” flea market sales. I am certain she was the only lady to “smuggle” Canadian flour across the border for those awesome perogies.

On her last trip down south, Mom “single-handedly” parked her minivan in the ocean so that she could take pictures for her grandchildren. Although the result was both comical and a bit dangerous, Mom always put others above herself.

Mom was an active member of the Winnipeg Beach Legion where she volunteered for everything. Many phone calls from her children and grandchildren were often put on hold as she was “always” planning, organizing or volunteering for some sort of event at the Legion.

When at home, Mom enjoyed baking, cooking, watching the Jets, the Bombers, playing scrabble and talking on the phone to everyone. Recently, she joined the Sandy Hook “COP” program where she would patrol the neighbourhood looking for criminals. Sandy Hook criminals were very lucky that they did not come face to face with Mom… her sons have direct experience as to how skilled she was with a wooden spoon both in the kitchen and as an instrument of discipline.

Mom leaves her sons Glenn (Theresa), grandchildren Emily and Kris and Douglas (Pam), grandchildren Brody and Ben. She loved her grandchildren to the end of the world and back. Although she worried for several years that grandchildren would not happen, within a span of four years she was blessed with four wonderful grandchildren and accepted all four for unique people each would become. Mom listened to endless stories about horses from Emily, spent hours talking to Brody as he walked “grand dog” Dante, shared and taught Kris all the secret recipes and made Ben limitless pieces of white bread toast with Giant Tiger cheese spread for breakfast.

Stella Chorney, Mom’s best friend for over 70 years, held Mom’s hand when she took her last breath. Stella will miss their daily 10:00 p.m. phone calls to share stories and be supportive of each other both in good and troubling times.

Mom also leaves her cousin Sylvia (Daniel) Panisko whom she visited weekly and took meals and dainties to until her health no longer permitted her to do so. Danny and Sylvia’s son, Dr. Daniel Panisko was a very special person in Mom’s life. Mom “traveled the world” through the myriad of postcards he sent her from each trip he took. Those postcards were treasured by Mom. As a matter of fact, Doug followed Danny’s lead and sent Mom a postcard from every post office he walked by on his recent trip to Austria. Thanks Danny… postage is not cheap.

The community will miss Mom as it was in her giving nature to take paska, pickles and jam to everybody she knew, whether it be to her bank, her doctors or her neighbours.

On behalf of Mom, we would like to thank her doctors for the excellent care and the staff at the Johnson Memorial Hospital in Gimli, Manitoba. Also, all the family and friends who visited and called Mom during her hospital stay.

A memorial service will be held at the Winnipeg Beach Legion, 20 Hamilton Avenue, Winnipeg Beach, Manitoba on July 2nd, 2019 at 1:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, a donation to CancerCare Manitoba, the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba, or a charity of one’s choice would be greatly appreciated.

It’s time to rest… you deserve it… for all you have done for us during your time here.

Vichnaya Pam’yat

Нехай спочиває з богом

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