On March 3, 2024, Richard Walter Eliuk passed away at his home in Calgary at the age of 87.
Richard is survived by his sons Rick (Lori), Keith (Joanne), Peter (Kathy); his grandkids Nichole (Scott), Patricia (Darren), Quartz, Kieran, Joel, Erica; and great grandkids, Jacob, Chayse, Blake and Mason. Also survived by his cherished nephews Mark (Tracy) and Steven Hall. He is predeceased by his loving wife Sylvia (née Cherak).
Born in Canmore, Richard was raised within sight of the No. 2 Coalmine, the only son of Peter and Rose Eliuk. He met and then married his High School sweetheart Sylvia in 1960 and they remained dedicated partners for the next 60 years until her passing in 2020.
It is not without a sense of irony, that his coalminer father forbid him to work underground, as he felt it was too dangerous for his only son. So, in 1958 Richard set off to join the Calgary Fire Department.
As it turned out, this was perhaps not the safest route for him. In 1961 he was injured in the Cameron Block Fire (reported at the time as the deadliest fire in Calgary history). As such his Canmore and Firefighter families stepped in to assist his family during his hospitalization and recovery. Following his return to work, he hosted a Canada Day gathering in Canmore in appreciation, an annual family legacy that has been celebrated for over 60 years now.
At his core, Dad was obsessed with sharing the outdoors with others. Raised in the Rockies, he was never happier than being on a Mountain Lake (whether rocking in a boat on Spray or shivering on a sheet of ice in the Kananaskis). Once he conquered all the known fishing holes Alberta had to offer, he began annual trips to the BC Coast in pursuit of anything he could later smoke, can or barbeque.
In the Fall, fishing rods were exchanged for hunting gear. That same passion was unleashed on an Autumn Day, chasing pheasants with one of many Labradors (…his favourite was a Black lab named Skoki).
Dad also felt passionately about Firefighting. He worked through the ranks, eventually rising to Division Chief before retiring with 36 years of service. After retiring in 1993, a group of CFD retirees began an annual Winter pilgrimage to Superstition Sunrise in Arizona. The Jamboree would converge on their place in the Sun, to hike and swim by day till the inevitable “happy hour” where tales of days gone by were passed around like Jalapeno dip.
Dad leaves us an amazing Family and Legacy. He is a lesson in courage and loyalty, that together with Mom, taught us to get together often, live life large and always barbecue something even larger.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 12:00 noon at The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies (2 Silvertip Trail, Canmore AB T1W 2Z7). Interment to follow at the Canmore Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calgary Firefighter Burn Treatment Center https://calgaryfirefighters.org/index.php?20-burn-treatment-society
To order memorial trees in memory of Richard Walter Eliuk, please visit our tree store.
Richard is survived by his sons Rick (Lori), Keith (Joanne), Peter (Kathy); his grandkids Nichole (Scott), Patricia (Darren), Quartz, Kieran, Joel, Erica; and great grandkids, Jacob, Chayse, Blake and Mason. Also survived by his cherished nephews Mark (Tracy) and Steven Hall. He is predeceased by his loving wife Sylvia (née Cherak).
Born in Canmore, Richard was raised within sight of the No. 2 Coalmine, the only son of Peter and Rose Eliuk. He met and then married his High School sweetheart Sylvia in 1960 and they remained dedicated partners for the next 60 years until her passing in 2020.
It is not without a sense of irony, that his coalminer father forbid him to work underground, as he felt it was too dangerous for his only son. So, in 1958 Richard set off to join the Calgary Fire Department.
As it turned out, this was perhaps not the safest route for him. In 1961 he was injured in the Cameron Block Fire (reported at the time as the deadliest fire in Calgary history). As such his Canmore and Firefighter families stepped in to assist his family during his hospitalization and recovery. Following his return to work, he hosted a Canada Day gathering in Canmore in appreciation, an annual family legacy that has been celebrated for over 60 years now.
At his core, Dad was obsessed with sharing the outdoors with others. Raised in the Rockies, he was never happier than being on a Mountain Lake (whether rocking in a boat on Spray or shivering on a sheet of ice in the Kananaskis). Once he conquered all the known fishing holes Alberta had to offer, he began annual trips to the BC Coast in pursuit of anything he could later smoke, can or barbeque.
In the Fall, fishing rods were exchanged for hunting gear. That same passion was unleashed on an Autumn Day, chasing pheasants with one of many Labradors (…his favourite was a Black lab named Skoki).
Dad also felt passionately about Firefighting. He worked through the ranks, eventually rising to Division Chief before retiring with 36 years of service. After retiring in 1993, a group of CFD retirees began an annual Winter pilgrimage to Superstition Sunrise in Arizona. The Jamboree would converge on their place in the Sun, to hike and swim by day till the inevitable “happy hour” where tales of days gone by were passed around like Jalapeno dip.
Dad leaves us an amazing Family and Legacy. He is a lesson in courage and loyalty, that together with Mom, taught us to get together often, live life large and always barbecue something even larger.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, August 3, 2024 at 12:00 noon at The Shrine Church of Our Lady of the Rockies (2 Silvertip Trail, Canmore AB T1W 2Z7). Interment to follow at the Canmore Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Calgary Firefighter Burn Treatment Center https://calgaryfirefighters.org/index.php?20-burn-treatment-society
To order memorial trees in memory of Richard Walter Eliuk, please visit our tree store.
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