It is with great sadness that his family announces the passing of David William Tkachuk in a sudden accident on January 30th, 2022.  David was Bill and Marie Tkachuk’s first born and dearly loved son, arriving on Dec. 31, 1956. All the nurses thought he would be the New Year’s baby but he was in too much of a hurry.  He was soon joined by 5 siblings Linda, Barry, Pat, Heather and Melanie.  

When David was 18 months old, Bill and Marie moved to live in the teacherage at Cochin, where David spent his elementary school years.  In Cochin, David had a good friend, Jack Sommerfield, and the two would get into all kinds of mischief. 

 As our Grandpa Mewhort would say, David was a bit of a scallywag in his youth.  His mom recalls one incident where they had been told not to dig tunnels in the sand banks down by the lake, they did so and Jack just about got buried.  The boys did their best to keep it a secret, but they were eventually found out.  

David’s parents moved their growing family to the farm on the south tip of Jackfish Lake, when David was around 10 and a half years old.  David worked closely with his dad, doing farm work at a young age. By twelve years old, he was driving the combine at harvest, and thinking that he knew more than his mother about it all.  His love for helping at harvest carried over into his adult life. He never seemed more content after a good day of harvesting in the field, with a belly full of Mom’s perogies and oatmeal raisin cookies.

 Grandpa Mewhort was a carpenter which appealed to David, and so after high school he went to Saskatoon for further his post-secondary education in Carpentry.  He then worked for some local construction companies building homes and commercial buildings. His work was very meticulous and even in later years, he took on many side renovations and construction projects for friends and family.

David was married to Laurie Blanchard soon after high school, while he was still studying to be a carpenter. They had 3 children, Chelsey, Jeff, and Jonathan.  To support his family, David returned to university to get an education degree, which led him to a long and successful teaching career. As was his father, David was a natural teacher, and was able to teach youth in a way that was relatable and understandable.  The family then moved to Broadview for 3 years, before coming back to North Battleford for the remainder of his teaching career. David taught Industrial Arts at Battlefords Junior High for many years, and was very involved in extracurricular activities and the students’ lives.

Throughout his life,  David enjoyed fishing trips with his brothers and later with his children as well. They were often an adventure to say the least. On one memorable trip up to Meadow Lake, David had a finishing line tied to his big toe and feet hanging over the side of the boat.  

David also enjoyed spending time with his children.  One family vacation the kids particularly remember involved going skiing in Banff.  Like many of the best trips, uncle Barry suddenly showed up at an Edmonton bus station, waiting to be picked up.  Chelsey remembers crying, staring down at her first black diamond run in the mountains and being too scared to move.  Dad promised her her very first beer if she made it down the run, and assured her that it wouldn’t hurt ‘that much’ if she fell.  Chelsey made it and her and cousin Amy shared the celebratory drink.

Jeff remembers playing cards with Dad and Uncle Barry late into the night, and making the rounds after they fell asleep to make sure the doors were locked and no errant cigarettes would burn down the rented condo.

Jon remembers seeing an elk while Dad was barbecuing supper.  Dad suggested he give the elk a bun since he wanted to feed it.  With a shaking hand Jon held out the bun for the elk, but as the elk came closer Jon got nervous and backed up, which of course made the elk follow.  The end result was Jon throwing the bun and then running screaming back inside to safety from the vicious beasts of nature.

David was remarried to Gloria Dewan in 1996, and they were married until his sudden passing.  He gained 3 more daughters, Holly, Amy, and Andrea who were blessed to have him in their lives.  

David’s playful and loving nature found a perfect outlet in his grandkids, nieces, nephews and other children. David became animated when young children were around.  His children and grandchildren have vivid memories of the smile on his face, the twinkle in his eye, and the joy in his voice as he kindly teased them.  David was the pied piper of children, and would always be the one to get down on the floor to play or to take kids to the playground or school for gym time or crafts. He wasn’t just a Dad/granddad/uncle who supervised the kids, he would take the time and actively engage and play with them.

David was there for family and friends, if anyone needed help, no matter what he was doing, no matter how busy he was.  

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Gloria, his mother Marie, his children Chelsey, Jeff (Christine) and Jon (Melissa), his step daughters Holly (Glen), Amy, Andrea, his siblings Linda (Henri), Fr. Barry, Pat (Diane), Heather, and Melanie (Dallas), as well as many grandchildren, nieces, nephews and many others whose lives were touched by David.  David’s family wants to thank the many people who reached out after his passing to express their condolences and well wishes.  Memorial donations can be sent to TeleMiracle Kinsmen Foundation, as Dad was a supporter of their great work.

• Date : 2022-02-14
• Location : North Battleford