Community mourns loss of entrepreneur-Nation Builder Alex Chomyn

Published in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix
from October 30-31, 2006.

Alex Chomyn (Recognized as Nation Builder in 2000)

The family of Alex M. Chomyn wishes to announce his passing on Sunday, October 29, 2006 at the age of 93.

A dedicated community leader, entrepreneur and family man, Alex Chomyn was born in the St. Julien district of Saskatchewan into the family of Mykhailo and Anastasia (Stefaniuk) Chomyn, being the youngest in a family of ten. Here he completed his schooling at Poltawa School and high school in Wakaw and Rosthern. He holds a Certificate in Business Administration from the College of Commerce at the University of Saskatchewan.

After finishing school Alex farmed for several years. In 1935 he married Pauline Kotelko. Alex was employed as assistant secretary treasurer of the Rural Municipality of Hoodoo No. 401 from 1936-1939. In 1940, he moved with his family to Saskatoon and began work for the firm of Saskatoon Hardware. In 1959, Alex opened his own business, Alex's Hardware, which remained a fixture on 20th Street for the next 26 years. In 1981, with his son Ken, Alex opened Video One Systems, Ltd.

He retired from active business life in 1991. Having more free time, Alex Chomyn increased his giving to community life; he was a captain with the United Appeal, a Director of the 1971 Canada Winter Games and President of the Wakaw Lake and Cottage Owner's Association. Hospitals, charities and educational institutions and the Saskatoon Symphony have experienced his largesse. For his work in the community, the City of Saskatoon has named a street, Chomyn Crescent, in his honour.

On the Ukrainian community front, Alex has been a stalwart leader. Active in his church, he has been President of the Holy Trinity Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral, chairman of the Millennium Finance Committee for Saskatchewan, as well as chairman of the Millennium Building Committee. A legacy of the work of these committees is the St. Volodymyr statue that graces the grounds of the Cathedral and is enjoyed by all who pass in on 20th Street in Saskatoon.

Alex has been active in the Ukrainian Canadian Congress Saskatoon Branch and the Ukrainian Self-Reliance League of Canada (TYC). He is an Honourary life member of the Saskatoon "Steppe " Branch of TYC and served on the executive of the World Congress of Free Ukrainians.

Alex Chomyn's greatest legacy is the Ilarion Residence in Saskatoon. He was the driving force behind its inception and completion. Alex devoted twenty years as President of the Ukrainian Orthodox Senior Citizen's Society to bring to fulfillment a dream of a complex of 118 suites for elderly Ukrainians. He enriched the Residence by donating many museum-type articles from his private family collection, which are on display in a special room.

At the age of 84, he undertook to provide another establishment, a quality nursing care home for Ukrainian Canadians. This work ended with the opening of a special Ukrainian Orthodox section within Sherbrooke Home in Saskatoon.

This legacy of providing care and assistance to the people who built Western Canada marked Alex Chomyn as a visionary and, along with his other contributions to Church, Family and Nation showed him to be a Nation Builder. He is a man with generosity of spirit, labour and finances, and worked cooperatively with people of many backgrounds.

In 2002, Alex received the Commemorative Medal for the Queen's Golden Jubilee, marking fifty years of the reign of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II as Queen of Canada. In 2005, he received the Commemorative Medal for the Centennial of Saskatchewan. Both of these awards recognizes individuals who have made a significant contribution to the province of Saskatchewan.

Alex and Pauline Chomyn were blessed with three children, Milton (deceased), Evelyn (Jean Paul) Guillemin and Kenneth; seven grandchildren, Michael (Emma Bills) Chomyn and Rachael (Andreas) Zapletal, Stephanie (Richard) Edwards, Alexis (Jenifer) Guillemin, Kendra, Brett and Jolene Chomyn; and great-grandchildren, Melinda Zapletal and Elle Edwards.

The Funeral Service will be held on Friday, November 3, 2006 at 1:30 p.m. at The Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral of Holy Trinity, 919 20th Street West, Saskatoon, SK, officiating will be Rev. Fr. Taras Makowsky. Interment will take place in Woodlawn Orthodox Cemetery, Saskatoon, SK. Private prayers were conducted prior to the funeral service for the immediate family. Flowers gratefully declined. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to James Werezak of PARK FUNERAL CHAPEL, 244-2103. Vichnaya Pamyat! Memory Eternal!

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2006