Nancy Batiuk

Nancy Helen Batiuk

We grieve the loss of Nancy our beloved daughter, sister, aunt and friend. Nancy peacefully began her journey home in the early morning hours of Saturday, January 6, 2018 in Portage la Prairie, MB with her sister Theresa and best friend Jennifer by her side.

Nancy was born on a hot, beautiful, sunny day at noon on November 8, 1953, causing her doctor to miss church in order to be there at her birth. Nancy was born at the Dauphin General Hospital to parents John and Sophie Batiuk. Mom often spoke of the beautiful warm November days the year Nancy was born.

Nancy began and completed her schooling in Dauphin, graduating from the Dauphin Collegiate in June 1971. After completing High School she attended Little's Business School in Dauphin and put her new skills to good use when she acquired her first job in Churchill, Manitoba working for the Royal Bank of Canada. Over the years the Royal Bank transferred her to various branch locations located in: Winnipeg, Carman, and Rivers, Manitoba. In 1989, Nancy made a very brave and courageous decision to follow her heart and her true calling, and thus, enrolled in the Registered Psychiatric Nursing Program in Brandon, Manitoba.  Nancy was so proud to be accepted into the program and dedicated many hours to her studies, and she began to forge many new friendships with her fellow students. Some of these new friends became her angels in her final days. Nancy graduated from the Registered Psychiatric Nursing Program in 1991 and found employment in Portage la Prairie at the Manitoba Developmental Centre (MDC) where she was employed for over 18 years until her retirement in 2010.

Nancy forged close wonderful friendships at MDC. Many co workers have spoken of her willingness to be a listening ear, and if you wanted it or not she would usually be prepared to give you some motherly advice. Nancy had a devotion to the residents she was in charge of – she spoke so often of  the men and women in her charge that one could easily believe that she was their second mother not their nurse.  When something upset or hurt one of her residents she took that pain and suffering and made it her own – what a special quality that was.

Nancy had a great love for her family. She was always prepared to help out in her parent’s huge garden, whether that was planting, weeding, picking, or harvesting she was always the first one there and without complaint peeled many pails of pees each year.  The family joke every September was that it was time for the Batiuk Potato Festival and while many family members ran the other way Nancy tackled the Potato challenge head on digging, gathering, and picking hundreds of pounds of potatoes each year. When her father John passed away in 1992 Nancy was a loving support to her mom.  She was there to help mom with yard work, taking mom to visit family members, or taking mom on many road trips. There was never any doubt about Nancy’s generosity, Christmas and birthdays to her was a time of spoiling and spoiling she did.  Many beautiful, considerate, and caring gifts were received by Nancy’s brothers, sisters, nephews, niece and friends over the years. Each one of us has fond memories of our Nancy for the many acts of kindness she extended – we will treasure them all.

Nancy enjoyed driving, whether short trips to Brandon or Dauphin, or the longer trips she took with family to Disney World, Las Vegas, The Great Lakes, or Alberta.  Maxwell House coffee was also on the top of her enjoyment list, but not to be out done by watching her favourite NHL team The Toronto Maple Leafs play hockey on television.  Nancy also enjoyed watching curling as she spent many years curling on various teams in her younger days. Nancy also played softball in Churchill.

We will always remember Nancy for her hearty laugh – which was contagious, her many facial expressions which always let you know what she was thinking without her having speak the words – oh, yes you knew – she was also quick on her hand gestures, and of course the shoulder shrugs. All of these character traits she was still able to demonstrate up and until the end.

Nancy will live on in the hearts she left behind: her mother Sophie Batiuk, sisters; Irene Firestone, and Theresa (Les) Highfield, brothers; Roman (Audrey), John (Paulina), Joe (Kathy) Batiuk, nephews; George (Carri) Mayers, Greg (Shannon) Batiuk, Kris Mayers, Bryan (Kaitlyn) O’Rourke, Steven (Laura) O’Rourke and Eric Batiuk, niece; Chelsea (Allen) Little, great nephews; Taylor, Connor, Aiden, and Korbin and great niece Ava.  Nancy will also be fondly remembered by many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends.

Nancy was predeceased by her father John in July 1992.

We the family would like to say a special thank you to Nancy’s special friends – Jennifer, Roxanne, Melanie, and Jan – thank you for your love and support to Nancy in her final days. You truly were her guardian angels – thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Nancy’s funeral will be held Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 1pm, from the McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel in Portage la Prairie, MB.

Donations in lieu of flowers would be appreciated to:  Lake Manitoba Camp Legacy Fund Inc. (Sandy Haven) Box 1532, Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 3P5.

A tree will be planted and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel. www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com. 204-857-4021