Elizabeth 'Liz' (Prokopenko) Zanewich

Mom always said she grew up in the best of times, life was simple and even though her life was tough, she always cared about family and had loads of fun. Growing up in Winnipeg, she remembered her and her mom trading tokens with neighbours for sugar during WWII. She spent many summers picking blueberries with her mom and brothers (Steve, Bill and John Paul). After multiple summers, she finally saved up enough money to buy a bike. She also witnessed tremendous social, technological and global changes during her life. Even with the constantly changing technology and iOS updates, mom always challenged herself to become a master, especially of her iPads, so we could all stay connected despite distance.

At a very young age, mom began her teaching career as a “permit teacher” in a one room schoolhouse teaching all grades in Eriksdale, before completing Normal School in Winnipeg. She moved to Flin Flon, met her future husband Steve, and got married in 1955. In the 1960s, they moved westward to Alberta. Mom and dad worked together to own a couple small hotels in rural Alberta and raise a family. After dad’s passing, she began her career as a realtor in Lethbridge where she achieved the Million Dollar Club status.

As a single parent, mom continued raising four young children (Karen, Allan, Debra and Glen) and was the biggest supporter of all their sports and activities. Our house was never without some sort of pet, be it fish, gerbils, hamsters, cats and even a dog. Mom wondered why a cute, stray kitten kept hanging around our house until she realized that her children were regularly sneaking it into the house through a basement window to feed it. After her retirement, mom spent countless hours with her six grandchildren (Landon, Makenna, Zachary, Brinnley, Isabelle, and Hadynn). Many puzzles were constructed, scrabble games were played and nature paths were travelled. Mom even learned to play chess to indulge her grandkids.

Mom loved to travel abroad, garden and explore nature. She was especially fond of birds and the mountains. On many of her travels she seemed to keep meeting up with water challenges - be it stepping on stones to cross rivers, walking gangways to disembark from a houseboat, and dipping her toes in the swirling ocean waters. Mom enjoyed spending mornings sipping her coffee, warming her back with the sun, reading the newspaper and tackling her crossword and Sudoku puzzles.

At mom’s request, there will be no formal gathering. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to the Helen Schuler Nature Center, Lethbridge Family Services, or a nonprofit organization of your choice.

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