Frances Anastasia (Deir) Antonik
January 25, 1923-October 24, 2013
It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to our beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Frances Antonik, who passed away October 24, 2013 in the Elder Care Wing of Lady Minto Hospital on Salt Spring Island at the age of 90. She was predeceased in 2000 by her loving husband of 54 years, Ladislav, and in 2010 by Jack Fisher, her dear companion for 9 years after Lad’s passing. Frances will be lovingly remembered by her children Pauline Maughan McCarthy and husband John (Skip), Judi (Bennett) Harvey and husband Rob, Garry Antonik and wife Arlene, Mike Antonik and wife Patricia, and Joan Mitchell and husband Graeme, as well as her 11 grandchildren: Kaylie and Liam Maughan; Jordan Doerksen; David Antonik (Alison and great grandsons James and Ryan) , Jeffrey Antonik (Jessie and great granddaughters Kyla and Kristina) and Dan Antonik (Davina and great granddaughter Maya); Aran Antonik (Caroline and great granddaughter Ava), Kelsey and Scott Antonik; and James and Paul Mitchell, as well as many nieces and nephews in Ontario. Frances was also greatly loved and admired by her five in-laws and former in-law Michael Maughan.Born January 25, 1923 in Gananoque, Ontario, she was the 11th of 14 children and the last to survive. Descended from farming pioneers from Ireland, she grew up on a dairy and maple syrup farm near Athens, Ontario. She studied nursing in Kingston, Ontario at the Hotel Dieu, and graduated as an RN in 1945. It was there she fell in love with a handsome young Slovak medical student, Ladislav Antonik, who was training at Queens University. They were married February 15, 1946, on their graduation day. They moved to Ottawa to work at the Ottawa General Hospital for a short time, before moving to Hearst, Ontario, then Montreal, Quebec for 3 years, and Kapuskasing in Northern Ontario. Along the way came five children, and Frances became a full-time homemaker, raising her children with loving care. In 1958 the family travelled across Canada to settle in Coquitlam, BC. In 1965 she and Lad purchased a lovely cottage on St. Mary Lake, on Salt Spring Island, which became their full-time retirement home in 1982. She devoted her life to her family and her home was the centre of many joyous family gatherings. Frances was a terrific cook and an avid bridge player. We miss her love, her gentleness and her grace, and thank her for giving us a great life. We will forever cherish these precious memories. Private family memorial was held, with burial at Salt Spring Island Cemetery beside her devoted husband, Ladislav. The family is deeply grateful for the compassionate care of our dear Mother by the dedicated staff at Lady Minto Hospital and by Dr. Robert Critchon for the last 6 years of her life. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Lady Minto Hospital, 135 Crofton Road, Salt Spring Island, BC V8K 1T1, would be greatly appreciated.