It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Ricky (Rick) Charney on Sunday, June 24 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre with his wife Margie by his side. Rick was born in Shoal Lake, MB on October 10, 1961, to Tom and Susan Charney; he was the youngest in a family of seven.

He grew up on the family farm near Marco, MB and went to school in Rossburn, MB. He had a special fondness for the farm and the memories of growing up there. He spent most of his adult life living in the city but he was truly a country boy at heart.

In 1992, Rick met the love of his life, Margie Smit. They married a year later on October 16 and were blessed with three children - Daniel who was born in 1994, Shelby in 1996 and Nick in 2001. There was nothing that was more important to Rick than his family, he was most proud of his wife and children and often said that they were his biggest achievement in life.

Rick was considered a jack-of-all-trades. He was hard-working and took a great deal of pride in his work regardless of what he was doing. He held many different positions, however, it didn’t matter whether he was managing a restaurant, cooking, performing maintenance duties, working in retail or handling cattle in his most recent position with P. Quintaine and Son Ltd. he always, always went above and beyond the call of duty, taking that extra step, and going that extra mile to do the best job that he could.

Rick may have seemed a little rough ‘looking’ on the outside (to some people) with his shaved head, numerous tattoos, driving his big, tough truck, but on the inside, he was gentle, kind, compassionate and accepting.

He was only 56 years old, but he was truly an old soul. He was a traditionalist, a believer in God, he placed a lot of emphasis on old-fashioned values (respect, kindness, compassion) and enjoyed all things of the past. He loved to share stories from the good old days especially while visiting with family and friends. He had a soft spot for the elderly and always did little things to make their lives easier, better and more pleasant. He had a great sense of humour, loved to laugh and have fun, and always made a lasting impression on people wherever he went. He would literally help whoever he could when he was able to.

Along with being the most supportive, loving and caring father and husband, Rick was also very proud to be Ukrainian. He loved to go camping for the weekend to Canada’s National Ukrainian Festival in Dauphin, he proudly flew the Ukrainian flag, he was keen to share the history of Ukrainians in Canada and maintained his heritage by sharing many traditions with his family.

It was very important to Rick to be able to pass on and share these family traditions with his children and would ensure that their lives were enriched with special customs like the blessing of an Easter basket or serving up a bowl of delicious Kutia (a wheat dish served at Christmas).

Rick loved the outdoors and would often take a drive just to get out of the city. He enjoyed hunting and camping or just relaxing in the backyard with family and friends around the bonfire. He was an avid gardener, an antique collector, he loved listening to music especially Bluegrass and Ukrainian, and he was an amazing cook. He took pleasure in preparing meals for family and friends and made a special effort to ensure there was always traditional Ukrainian food on the table for special events and occasions. He mastered making homemade pickles, perogies, cabbage rolls, buns, borscht and so many other wonderful dishes.

His creative talents went beyond the kitchen and the garden, he was quite crafty and thoroughly enjoyed helping the kids turn in the best school projects; he even made all the flower arrangements for his and Margie’s wedding.

When he wasn’t puttering in the yard or out on country drive you’d most likely find him at Tim Horton’s. He loved his Timmies’ coffee and made sure he had time to stop at his favourite coffee house every single day.

He was a proud member of the Canadian Ukrainian Men’s Club and St. Mary’s Ukrainian Catholic Church. He was a religious man who always held on to his faith, even during the darkest days of his suffering.

Rick was diagnosed on March 1 with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, although what most people don’t know is that he hadn’t been feeling well for a number of months prior to that. He endured many complications with his illness and was never able to treat the cancer, but he fought as hard as he could for his life. His only wish was to have a bit more time with his family and to be able to come home.

Today, we will grant his last wishes. We’ll have a lovely service to celebrate his life and we will bring him home with us. He is no longer physically in our presence, but we will forever remain a family of five. Our memories and the love that we have for him in our hearts will go on forever.

Rick is predeceased by his parents Tom (1990) and Susan (2016) Charney, his brother Ken Charney (2016), his parents-in-law Gerry (2007) and Anne (2003) Smit and his brother-in-law Orest Salyn (2018).

He will be deeply missed by his wife of nearly 25 years, Margie; his three children Daniel, Shelby and Nick; his sister Leona (Eugene) Yanick, sister Zelma Salyn, brother Ed (Phyllis) Charney, sister Betty (Ed) Budz, brother Mathew (Judy) Charney, brother-in-law Gerry (Rita) Smit, brother-in-law Bob (Carol) Smit and by numerous nieces, nephews and dear friends.

All those who knew Rick will hold the special honour of being his Urn Bearer.

Donations in memory of Rick can be made to CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9.

Vichnaya Pam’yat.

Thank you
I along with Daniel, Shelby and Nick extend a deep and heartfelt Thank You to all of our family and friends for your prayers, love and continuing support.

To Dr. Edward, the Nurses and Health Care Aides on A3 Palliative, your care given to Rick and never ending compassion will never go unspoken.
Margie