Obituary for Christopher Samuel Kuzik
On November 15, 2023, Chris Kuzik passed away peacefully with his family by his side at the Peterborough Regional Health Centre. He was just shy of 79 years. Chris had a natural burial on November 18th. The interment was a private family gathering at St. James Cemetery, a beautiful hillside in Roseneath, Ontario. A celebration of life will be planned in the spring at Kawartha Country Wines in Buckhorn, Ontario.
God granted Chris a "gift of years", following an initial cancer diagnosis 24 years ago. Chris’s faith sustained him throughout his lifetime, and now he is at peace, without pain or suffering. Pastor Paul Hogan from St. Alphonsus Church gave Chris the last rites and visited a few times in the hospital. Chris said "I am so tired...I want to go home." And so he did.
Chris was born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, and received an Honours Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Manitoba. He married Pat Zelizny in 1968, travelled throughout Europe with her on a 2 month honeymoon and bought a house on 87 River Road outside of Winnipeg. They moved to Ottawa a year later when Chris began work in government and Pat began school at Carleton University. In 1972 they moved to Toronto, where Chris formed the Toronto Dress and Sportwear Manufacturers Guild as Executive Director, and bought an old house on Lake Ontario. He also worked with Willy Villano on non-profit housing and taught at both George Brown College and Ryerson University. He was an accomplished and respected individual in the garment/fashion industry, and the recipient of many awards.
Chris and Pat's beautiful daughter Alana was born in 1985. Five years later, they bought a house on Sandy Lake near Buckhorn, Ontario and moved there full time from 2003 to 2016 following Chris’s multiple diagnoses and Alana leaving home for university. During that period, Chris and Pat repeatedly drove back and forth to Rochester, New York for 4 years of Rituxan treatment, chemotherapy that was not yet available in Canada. Chris was interviewed by the Toronto Sun and was instrumental in getting Rituxan approved here in Canada where it has helped countless numbers of fellow cancer patients. In 2016 Chris and Pat sold their lake home and moved to Peterborough. When his cancer reactivated in 2021, the 6 month treatment affected his vitality and mobility - but he never complained. Chris’s "eulogy virtues” as well as his "resume virtues" included kindness, honesty, humour and intelligence. He was always ready to help others in any way he could. He had a booming laugh and a quirky sense of humour. He gratefully had the opportunity to share laughter and love with family one last time during a recent visit to Winnipeg where he and Pat visited many dear friends as well as Chris's dear sister Val and her husband Colin.
His greatest joys in life were his daughter Alana, his wife Pat of 55 years, hosting many get togethers and celebrations with friends and family, the dog and many adopted cats, playing bridge twice a week, and writing poetry for Hearth Place (a cancer support group in Oshawa). Alana read one of these poems entitled “The Bird” at the interment.
Alana and Pat wish to thank all those that helped Chris on this journey, especially his brother Dr. Brian Kuzik, and niece April Hodzic, for the years of assisting with Chris’s poems, his sister-in-law Laurie Lloyd, family friends Christina Lee and Irene Humniski, and Dr. Anne-Marie Humniski (especially for her referral to Dr. Jeremy Sturgeon at Princess Margaret in 2000). Also thanks to Dr. Jonathan Friedberg in Rochester, Dr. Shariff and Dr. Garcia at PRHC, and Hearth Place in Oshawa for their unconditional support for Chris over all these years.
Everything is the same but different now. We will all miss you
" Last but not least a big thank you to Dr. Tim Panowyk in Oshawa who was Chris's family physician for over 30 years and was the 'clearing house' for every appointment and doctor Chris saw over the years. Tim and Susan his receptionist, went way above and beyond in their caring and expertise."
God granted Chris a "gift of years", following an initial cancer diagnosis 24 years ago. Chris’s faith sustained him throughout his lifetime, and now he is at peace, without pain or suffering. Pastor Paul Hogan from St. Alphonsus Church gave Chris the last rites and visited a few times in the hospital. Chris said "I am so tired...I want to go home." And so he did.
Chris was born and raised in Winnipeg’s North End, and received an Honours Bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Manitoba. He married Pat Zelizny in 1968, travelled throughout Europe with her on a 2 month honeymoon and bought a house on 87 River Road outside of Winnipeg. They moved to Ottawa a year later when Chris began work in government and Pat began school at Carleton University. In 1972 they moved to Toronto, where Chris formed the Toronto Dress and Sportwear Manufacturers Guild as Executive Director, and bought an old house on Lake Ontario. He also worked with Willy Villano on non-profit housing and taught at both George Brown College and Ryerson University. He was an accomplished and respected individual in the garment/fashion industry, and the recipient of many awards.
Chris and Pat's beautiful daughter Alana was born in 1985. Five years later, they bought a house on Sandy Lake near Buckhorn, Ontario and moved there full time from 2003 to 2016 following Chris’s multiple diagnoses and Alana leaving home for university. During that period, Chris and Pat repeatedly drove back and forth to Rochester, New York for 4 years of Rituxan treatment, chemotherapy that was not yet available in Canada. Chris was interviewed by the Toronto Sun and was instrumental in getting Rituxan approved here in Canada where it has helped countless numbers of fellow cancer patients. In 2016 Chris and Pat sold their lake home and moved to Peterborough. When his cancer reactivated in 2021, the 6 month treatment affected his vitality and mobility - but he never complained. Chris’s "eulogy virtues” as well as his "resume virtues" included kindness, honesty, humour and intelligence. He was always ready to help others in any way he could. He had a booming laugh and a quirky sense of humour. He gratefully had the opportunity to share laughter and love with family one last time during a recent visit to Winnipeg where he and Pat visited many dear friends as well as Chris's dear sister Val and her husband Colin.
His greatest joys in life were his daughter Alana, his wife Pat of 55 years, hosting many get togethers and celebrations with friends and family, the dog and many adopted cats, playing bridge twice a week, and writing poetry for Hearth Place (a cancer support group in Oshawa). Alana read one of these poems entitled “The Bird” at the interment.
Alana and Pat wish to thank all those that helped Chris on this journey, especially his brother Dr. Brian Kuzik, and niece April Hodzic, for the years of assisting with Chris’s poems, his sister-in-law Laurie Lloyd, family friends Christina Lee and Irene Humniski, and Dr. Anne-Marie Humniski (especially for her referral to Dr. Jeremy Sturgeon at Princess Margaret in 2000). Also thanks to Dr. Jonathan Friedberg in Rochester, Dr. Shariff and Dr. Garcia at PRHC, and Hearth Place in Oshawa for their unconditional support for Chris over all these years.
Everything is the same but different now. We will all miss you
" Last but not least a big thank you to Dr. Tim Panowyk in Oshawa who was Chris's family physician for over 30 years and was the 'clearing house' for every appointment and doctor Chris saw over the years. Tim and Susan his receptionist, went way above and beyond in their caring and expertise."