March 31, 1927 - September 14, 2023
In Loving Memory ~
Mary Ann Buckna of Kelowna, B.C. passed away on Sept. 14, 2023, in the Glenmore Lodge residential care facility, at age 96. Mary was born March 31,1927 at the family residence in Lethbridge, Alberta to mother Dominika Frolak (nee Lastucka) and stepfather Nick Frolak.
Mary received her schooling in the village of Hillcrest, Alberta and town of Creston B.C., graduating from Creston Valley High School in June 1945. Mary developed exceptional clerical skills including typing, stenography, and book-keeping. She was a valuable member of the CVHS Students' Council in her role as treasurer.
After graduation, Mary was in high demand, working in a variety of clerical jobs, first joining the secretarial staff of CVHS.
On August 9, 1947 in Vancouver, she married Henry "Hank" Michael Buckna of Coleman, Alberta. Because of Hank's dream to become a professional photographer, Mary had encouraged him to enroll in a photography course in Vancouver, offered by the Dominion and B.C. governments for returning military personnel. While Hank took the course, Mary worked as a secretary for the Nabob Coffee Company. (Coffee and tea were processed and packaged in the factory of Kelly Douglas Limited.)
Mary was a proud life-long royalist, and from a teenager onward collected photos and articles of the royal family, particularly Queen Elizabeth II. Every year, prior to Christmas, Mary would make a fruit cake based on the recipe used for Elizabeth & Philip's wedding cake (Nov. 20, 1947).
In April 1949, Mary and Hank moved to Creston to start a photography studio on Kootenay Street. In May, their first child, Gail, was born. A son, David, was born in May 1952. Mary worked in partnership with Hank as his photo assistant, and did the handcolouring of portraits and wedding group photos.
The couple built a reputation for quality portraiture. Some have compared Hank's black and white studio portraits to noted Canadian photographer, Yousuf Karsh. The photography business operated over a 29-year period, from 1949 to 1978.
In the 1950s, a contest was held to name the local men's hockey team. Her entry was selected: Creston Del-Macs (after the Delicious and McIntosh apple varieties).
From 1958 to 1978, Mary was the treasurer of the Canadian Cancer Society (Creston office). Prior to 1963, Mary took secretarial positions at the Creston Valley Co-op and Tak's Home Furnishers. She also did book-keeping for businesses, and prepared income tax returns.
Beginning in 1963, Mary worked full-time at the B.C. government office in Creston, as Deputy Agent. On occasion, she would be asked to fill in as court stenographer at the Creston Circuit Law Court.
Mary loved flowers and tended to long flower beds, both front and back, at the Creston home on Cedar Street. She was once asked: "Why do you plant so many flowers?" Mary replied, "Man does not live by bread alone." (To Mary, the beauty, colours and varieties of flowers are a reflection of God's creation.) Another time, she was asked: "Why do you plant flowers in your backyard? Nobody sees them." Mary replied, "But *I* do!"
Mary was an excellent cook and baker. She provided her family and guests with delicious and nutritious meals.
While Hank tended to the two-acre fruit orchard behind the house, Mary cultivated a large vegetable garden. From the bountiful harvest she would pickle cucumbers and beets, and freeze shelled peas, corn kernals and sliced carrots. She made her own bread, buns, cakes, carrot loaf, lemon loaf, and a wide variety of pies, from apple to cherry to lemon meringue.
Mary was also an excellent hostess because she had the gift of hospitality. She loved inviting people into her home to play cribbage, Rummoli, and other card games. Mary also enjoyed sports. She was skip on a women's curling team, and played golf. Mary was also captain of a women's bowling team, and named it "The Pin Ups"; she had a local artist draw a cartoon of a female bowling pin, which was the logo on their bowling outfits.
In the yearly contest to choose a theme for the Creston Valley Blossom Festival held in May, Mary's entries were selected twice: 1969: "Happiness Is" (the title of a popular song by the Ray Conniff Singers) and 1973: "Celebration With Honour" (marking the centenary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police).
Her favourite poem was "Trees" by Joyce Kilmer, later set to music. Her favourite version was sung by Mario Lanza, her favourite singer. Mary loved listening to a variety of music - from opera to Broadway musicals to the song hits of the day - including music performed by Frank Sinatra, the Tommy Dorsey & Lawrence Welk orchestras, and many others. She also enjoyed attending social dances at local community halls.
Mary was very lucky playing Bingo. Once when she arrived at the hall entrance, a woman greeted her: "Hi Mary, can you try not to win?" -- to which Mary replied dryly, "Well, I guess I could have stayed home." She also enjoyed taking bus and plane trips to Reno.
In 1978, Mary, having a strong need for new challenges, moved with Hank to Chetwynd B.C., where she was appointed the town's first provincial Government Agent. No longer did residents need to travel to Dawson Creek for services which included: registration of births, deaths and marriages; issuing of various driver's licenses; collection of vehicle insurance fees; provincial taxes; permits etc. At that time, female Government Agents in the province were in the minority. One male customer remarked, "For a woman, you know quite a bit."
At its peak, Mary's staff grew to three full-time and one part-time clerk positions. Mary was also a marriage commissioner, and had the authority to marry couples who desired a civil ceremony. Mary was treasurer of the Ladies Auxiliary to the Royal Canadian Legion, and also served as a director to the Chetwynd Chamber of Commerce.
In 1988, Mary decided on an early retirement from the government. It was a moment of deep reflection for Mary when she closed the office door for the last time, on March 31, which was not only the date of the fiscal year-end, but also her birthday. During her entire government career, Mary had perfect yearly audits. She was awarded a plaque of Meritorious Service "in recognition of 25 years of loyal and devoted service with the Ministry of Provincial Secretary and Government Services of the Government of British Columbia,1963 to 1988". To Mary, her job was not work. She loved every aspect of her duties, especially when going to the counter to serve the public. She had a true servant's heart.
But before the couple left Chetwynd in 1988, Mary organized the first-ever Miss Teen Chetwynd Pageant for the community, which was a great success. The couple then moved to Cranbrook, B.C., where they landscaped their third home. In her retirement years Mary liked to play "Texas hold 'em" poker, and was a good player. She won a large poker tournament at the Casino of the Rockies in Cranbrook.
Mary was predeceased by her brother Peter (age 6), sisters Grace Frolak and Ella Marshall, and husband Hank (July 19, 1998).
Shortly after Hank's passing, orange tabby cat Mikey arrived on the scene, and Mary would sometimes take him in her car for company, along with the stuffy, Garfield! Every January, Mary would hang a new Kliban Cat Calendar in the kitchen. She said cartoonist B. Kliban's humorous cat cartoons captured the soul of a cat.
Mary is survived by her son David of Kelowna; daughter Gail (Bill) Hogarth of Richmond Hill, Ontario; granddaughter Ashley Clute (great grandchildren Kegan and Declan); granddaughter Dr. Brooke Hogarth (McCarthy) (great grandchildren Norah and Sadie); nieces Sharlene Stewart, Debbie Tomaszewski, and nephew Dale Marshall. Also, there are cousins from the line of Mary's grandmother Echtema Lastucka & Sam Bullock.
Mary's life-long motto was: "Obstacles are those things you see when you take your eyes off your goal."
On her fridge door for many years was a quotation she had printed by hand and framed: The Orphan Quotation (Author Unknown)
"I expect to pass this way but once. Any good thing therefore, that I can do or any kindness I can show to my fellow beings, let me do it now. Let me neither neglect nor defer it; for I shall not pass this way again."
A 1950s handbook titled "In the Service of the People" (published by the B.C. Civil Service Commission) states that membership in the civil service implies: loyalty (to fellow citizens, government and colleagues); integrity (honesty and fair dealings in all things); enterprise (best effort at all times); example to others; and responsibility (service to the public is a reflection of democracy). Mary exemplified all these traits.
"Well done, good and faithful servant!"
- Matthew 25:23