Walter Peter Tarasick

It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Walter Peter Tarasick, 92, surrounded by his family, at his home in Kearney, Ontario, on February 5, 2021, after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. He was born October 16, 1928, in Windsor, Ontario, and predeceased by his parents, Fred and Anna Tarasick, and wife Anne (1996).

Walter graduated in 1951 with a degree in Engineering from the University of Toronto and went on to become an Ontario Land Surveyor, establishing Starr and Tarasick Surveying and Engineering, in Port Credit, Ontario, which prospered for many decades. His legacy is reflected today in many of the landmarks surveyed by his company in the Greater Toronto area and the offspring company which still includes his name.

Walter leaves behind his beloved wife Margaret Tarasick, and her children Susan, Lisa (Peter), Marianne, and Andrea (Paolo) and Maggie’s nine grand-children and two great-grandchildren. He is also survived by children David (Susan), Catherine, Steven (Madeliene), Leslie, and their mother, Audrey, as well as grandchildren Nicole, Michael (Jacki), Dara (Gordon), Lauren (Shawn), Jordana (Baruch), Alex, Meaghan, Rebecca, Kate, Daniel (Rachel), Alicia (Ian), Nathan, Rachel, Matthew, and Ian, and great-grandchildren, namesake Walter, and Sullivan.

Walter’s passion for cottage life came to fruition when he single-handedly built the beloved family cottage on Big Hawk Lake in 1959. The legacy of the cottage carries on today remaining a favorite destination for children and grandchildren who will treasure memories of many gatherings there with grandpa and Maggie. Wally joined the annual ritual of the cottage closing this past September. As was tradition, he worked the hardest of all!

Wally always enjoyed life to the fullest, an avid golfer, canoeist, water-skier, reader, theatre patron, garlic gardener, and a world traveller over many years, with trips to almost every continent including the Arctic and Antarctica. And while Wally always savoured the richness of life, he never failed to think of others and was a benefactor to a wide range of charities, making annual donations over many decades. His last major project, at the age of 89, was building, with Maggie, his dream home on Lynx Lake, Kearney, where he has been able to enjoy a beautiful vista and a wonderful community of family and friends. Above all, Wally was a family man much beloved by the whole clan.

Great appreciation is expressed to Dr. Whaley (called “my hero” by Wally), Norma Connolly, Stephanie Holtz and many other medical professionals for their excellent care and compassion. Thank you also to the wonderful neighbours and family members for endless support and acts of kindness.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorial donations in memory of Walter may be made to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, www.huntsvillehospitalfoundation.ca. or to a charity of your choice in lieu of flowers. Messages of condolence can be left at www.billingsleyfuneralhome.com