It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved father Vladimir Paul Ponich (Laddie) on October 11th, 2015, just 6 weeks after the loss of his wife of 70 years, Noelle Louise Ponich (Betty). He will be dearly missed by his children, Paul (Stancia De Blasi), Madeline (Ted Simonett), and Nancy (Frank Bonner) and by his grandchildren, Katya, Natasha (Chris), Trevor (Liz), and Scott (Melina). He was 93 years old.
Laddie loved his family and his extended family more than anything in the world and was always interested in hearing every detail of their lives and their accomplishments. He loved people and had a genuine curiosity for all aspects of life, travel, and adventure. He was a well known and highly respected professional photographer in Edmonton for 23 years and his artistry and eye for detail was evident in his work. He was also a gifted artist who loved to paint and sketch, and he hand-crafted many beautiful pieces of art. Laddie loved all kinds of music and he played both the piano and the organ, and had a lovely singing voice. He shared his love of the arts with all his children and introduced them to many avenues of artistic creativity. Laddie appreciated poetry and wrote a modest collection of his own poems. He also loved the outdoors and generously passed on his knowledge and respect for the wonders of nature. While Mom was his regular fishing partner, he gladly shared his love of salmon fishing and skills for success with many friends and members of his family. Laddie loved to laugh and possessed a charming wit and a delightful sense of humour that saw him through difficult times. He was a romantic who loved and adored our mother and their life together was a true love story for the ages. We will forever cherish him in our hearts.
Our family wishes to say thank you to the staff at Sherwood House and most especially to the wonderful VIHA caregivers who looked after our father. We would also like to thank the kind and caring staff at Cowichan District Hospital for the abundant compassion
and consideration they showed to Laddie and to all of our family.
Finally, we would like to offer our heartfelt thanks to Dr. Kim Grymaloski for being a guiding light for many years and for the time and care he gave to both our parents.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, a donation to the Canadian Diabetes Association or the Vasculitis Foundation of Canada would be gratefully appreciated.