Tri-City Cremation Services - Kitchener 519-772-1237 Cambridge 519-267-7199
  • Home
  • About
  • Cremation
  • Burial
  • Preplanning
  • Grief Resources
  • Obituaries & Condolences
  • Contact

​

Mary Petrovich

12/5/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Mary Magdalen Petrovich (née Troyak), age 89, passed away peacefully, on Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at Trinity Village Care Centre in Kitchener, Ontario after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Mary is survived by her three children, Rosemary, Jane and David, and six grandchildren. Mary was predeceased by the love of her life, her husband Joseph Petrovich.  

Mary was born in the village of Bobrov, Slovakia in the Maly Tatry Mountains, on Sunday, July 22, 1928. Three days later her father, Michael Troyak was notified that his application for emigration to Canada was finalized. Seeking a better life for his family, he left behind his wife Barbara Irene Troyak (née Balaban) and his infant daughter Mary, expecting as so many others did that he would soon earn enough money to bring them to Canada. But because of the Depression and WW II, they would not be re-united until 1946, when Barbara and Mary travelled by ocean liner to meet Michael in Port Arthur, now known as Thunder Bay. Mary was just eighteen.

As a child in Bobrov, Mary helped her mother pick mushrooms and strawberries in the woods around the village. She recalled going with her mother when Barbara worked as a gardener for a wealthy family, playing in the family's dollhouse, and being treated 'like a princess', by her mother's employers.

Just before WW II, Barbara brought her daughter to the Slovak capitol of Bratislava, where Barbara worked as a cook for the Police Department and Mary went to school, and studied music, ballet and fencing. She taught ballet to young children and worked part time in the Police kitchens with her mother and many other Slovak women. In later years Mary would startle her children with her fencing moves with an otherwise innocuous umbrella.

When the Wehrmacht was moving out of Bratislava before the oncoming Allied armies, Mary was very nearly taken to Germany by an officer who apparently 'liked her bright eyes'. The officer was to come back on a certain day to take her, but the other workers disguised her as an old woman, and he walked right past her.

When the War ended, Michael, still working in Canada, was finally able to contact his family and sent them money for the fares to join him in Canada. Mary was engaged to a young doctor named Josef in Bratislava, but she was unwilling to let her comparatively unsophisticated mother go alone to a new country and a husband who was effectively a stranger. So Mary left her fiancé behind, made all the arrangements for travel and emigration, and took ship for Canada.

Mary attended high school in Port Arthur, learned English and then worked as a legal secretary. Illustrating the ‘cultural mosaic’ of Canada: Mary, a Slovak-Canadian, was introduced to Joe Petrovich, a Croatian-Canadian, by his best friend, an Italian-Canadian, while they were all at a neighbourhood dance at the Finn Hall (which still exists and still serves great food).

Mary and Joe crossed quite significant cultural lines for that time, by falling in love, and marrying. Fortunately, everyone was Catholic, and the families got along sufficiently well. One of Joe’s four sisters was the maid of honour, and the others were among the bridesmaids.

Joe worked hard, became a Master Electrician, and was hired by Trans Canada Pipelines. He did well there, which led to promotions and transfers. Mary set up lovely homes for her growing family in Thunder Bay, Red Rock, Regina (Saskatchewan), Hearst, New Liskard, Haileybury, North Bay and Grafton. Moving to TCPL Station 86, 60 miles north of Hearst was a memorable adventure. Mary insisted that the company provide a school and teacher onsite for the children, and this was done. She drove the family Chevrolet Bel Aire in a little convoy bringing her mother Barbara and the kids (David was 5 months old), from Thunder Bay to Hearst in a December blizzard with frequent whiteouts. Husband Joe was in a company utility truck ahead of her, and her father Michael followed in his car.

When her beloved husband Joseph died tragically of cancer in 1969, Mary made yet another move from the company house in Grafton to a new home in Cobourg. She brought her parents to live in Cobourg and supported her family by purchasing and running a small apartment building, selling vacuum cleaners door-to-door, and working at General Foods. She volunteered with the Red Cross, became a ‘Hockey Mom’, a member of the Catholic Women’s League and a choir soprano. Mary supported and encouraged her three children through high school, college and university, which led to her moving to Kitchener while her parents moved nearby to Cambridge. She continued to work and volunteer wherever she went. One of Mary’s favourite jobs was working as a translator for the Court in Kitchener-Waterloo.

Mary had a superb voice and was a staunch member of church choirs at the Pro-Cathedral in North Bay, St. Michael’s in Cobourg, St. Aloysius in Kitchener, St. Gabriel’s in Burlington and briefly at the Igloo church in Inuvik, Northwest Territories. In Cobourg she joined the chorus for amateur productions of Gilbert & Sullivan musicals. She made sure her children had the opportunity to study music, tirelessly ferried them to piano lessons and band practices. Mary knew their friends, and welcomed them for meals, parties and just hanging out. Love of family, perhaps her most important legacy, was taught through togetherness, loyalty, sharing and giving.

Mary enjoyed fashion, elegance, gardening and interior design. She loved to listen to music, dance, take long hikes with her German Shepherd dogs, and travel. In 1978 Mary took her children to Czechoslovakia for three weeks, showing them both Bratislava and Bobrov, as well as several other places of beauty and interest around the country, and introducing them to friends and relatives. Some of her other trips were to the Canadian Arctic, British Columbia, Cuba, Columbia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and to Rome, Italy on a Mediterranean cruise with her church choir. Mary always enjoyed all her adventures—at home and away—to the fullest extent, and refused to be held back. When Mary was 55, her children took her skiing on Whistler Mountain. She fractured her lower leg soon after starting on the last run of the day. Rather than summon the Ski Patrol, she tightened up her ski boot and walked the rest of the way down.

Mary Magdalene Troyak Petrovich was a participant in life, never just a spectator. She was always the life of the party, and a fierce advocate for what she believed in. She taught a lot of people many important lessons, and brought love and light to their lives. She will be greatly missed by her family, friends and all who knew her.

The family would like to say a heartfelt thanks to the staff of Trinity Village Long Term Care Centre in Kitchener, Ontario. A resident of Trinity’s Walnut Grove for six years, Mary was cared for very well, with affection, kindness, patience and persistence.

Memorial donations may be made to Mary’s favourite charity – Covenant House, which helps homeless, at-risk youth –those who are not lucky enough to have someone like Mary Petrovich in their lives.
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Welcome. If you would like to leave a message of condolence, click on the comments line in the obituary, then scroll down to the section for leaving a reply​

    Past Obituaries

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016

Testimonials

"I just wanted to say how pleased we were with the help you guys provided to us. I was very nervous about the whole situation however you made us feel very comfortable and at ease. Very professional yet personal, no pressure just quality service. We are recommending you guys every chance we get”  ​Mary
“Hi Shawn, just taking a moment finally to express my gratitude on the wonderful services you have provided thus far. Your staff (Lisa) has been wonderful with everything. A true professional and very empathetic and compassionate to our loss. She did an amazing job in preparing mom for our intimate viewing. Mom looked exactly how she would've if still with us. I was so pleased to see how perfect everything was.”  Carlo
“Thank you so much I not sure if you are told enough but you truly are amazing for what you do the help you give the relief you give people after losing a loved one I want to thank you.”  
“Shawn, please accept our thanks for making the cremation process simple and dignified. You could not have been any more helpful and I am very grateful for your ‘virtual’ presence.” 
“Once again, thank you so much for your kind service on behalf of myself and her family, we thank you for making a difficult time seamless” 

    Contact Us

Submit
Immediate Need
If you have an immediate need for a loved one, please call us now. ​
​We have a licensed staff member on call 24 hours a day to assist you at this difficult time.
​
​​Kitchener Office: 
1601 River Road East, Unit 28A,  Kitchener, ON   N2A 3Y4
519-772-1237  kitchener@tricitycremations.com
Licence #1051
Cambridge Office:
383 Elgin Street North, Unit 10,  Cambridge, ON   N1R 8C1
​
519-267-7199  cambridge@tricitycremations.com
​
Licence #1280

Canadian Federation of
 Independent Business
Picture
Consumer Protection Ontario
Picture
Funeral Service
Association of Canada
Picture
Ontario Funeral
Service Association
Picture
​​Licensed by
​Bereavement Authority of Ontario
Picture
Consumer Information Guide
​© 2022 Tri-City Cremation Services.  All rights reserved.
  • Home
  • About
  • Cremation
  • Burial
  • Preplanning
  • Grief Resources
  • Obituaries & Condolences
  • Contact