Shirley Matichuk
It is with sad hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved, Shirley Matichuk, 79, on August 18, 2015.
Shirley was born to Elwood and Grace Black in Port Arthur on December 3, 1935. As a young girl, she loved fishing for speckled trout and spending countless summer hours at Boulevard Lake with her sister Eileen. She liked going to hockey games with her girlfriends, and playing marbles (thus her nickname, ‘The Marble Queen’).
Shirley spent time as a companion for the blind, and worked at the Port Arthur Country Club before moving to Atikokan to help her sister Eileen and her husband Bill. She soon started work at Chapple’s and found her love, Alex Matichuk. They were married on October 24, 1959. Within a few years, they had three boys who took up their mothers’ love of fishing, and the family spent many summers camping.
When the children were older, Shirley began working as a private contractor in the cleaning of the Caland Ore offices, the Ministry of Natural Resources, and the administration building of the Ontario Power Generating station.
Shirley enjoyed rug hooking, painting and drawing, reading mysteries, and listening to music, her favourites being Elvis, Waylon Jennings, Neil Diamond and Tom Jones. Her time spent at the country club fostered a love of cooking for her family, and their garden constantly provided plenty of fresh produce for their table. Shirley had a fantastic sense of humor, and loved a good joke, and comedy shows on TV. Shirley was a proud grandmother, and loved the laughter of children around her. As they have grown and provided her with great-grandchildren, she felt a sense of joy when they would visit her.
Shirley was predeceased by her parents, sister and brother-in-law Ruthie and Harvey Stubbs, her sister and brother-in-law Joyce and Tom Loveday.
Shirley is survived by husband Alex, sons Ralph Douglass (Daneen), Ken (Cori), Dan, and Glenn, grandchildren Stewart Douglass (Jessica) and Tyler Douglass (Elaine), Nick Matichuk (Nikita), Aaron Matichuk (Kristy), Alexis Nelson (Nick), Kristen Matichuk (Andrew St.Pierre), Devin Matichuk, Brodie Matichuk, Dylan Matichuk and great-grandchildren Hannah, Paige, Brooke, and Chase Douglass, Kenadie and Zachary Nelson, Reid Goodman, Dessa and Alex Matichuk, Kellan Matichuk, and Isaac Matichuk. Shirley is also survived by sister’s Eileen Dunnet and Mickey Nykanen (Raimo) as well as numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.
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