Jul 26, 1970 - Jan 2, 2018
Bev passed away suddenly in Yorkton, Saskatchewan while visiting family on January 2, 2018.
She is survived by her husband Alex Kennedy, and their two daughters Jillian Anastasia (14) and Rachel Alexandra (11).
Bev is also survived, by extension, her siblings Wayne (and Charlene) Skwernuik, Brenda (Gord) Pries, Donna (Mark) Balog, Diana (Claudio) Brenman, and by Alex's siblings Brenda (Deepak) Kumar, Bob (Robin) Kennedy, and parents-in-law Barb and Al Kennedy, and by nieces and nephews: Justin (Sharon), Andrew, Jennifer (Ryan), Aiden, Hanna, Dominic, and London Skwernuik; Vada Robinson; Grace and Liam Balog; Madison Ruff (Alex Boyer); Adam, Ross (Natsumi), Eric and Ryker Pries; and Skyler Kennedy.
She is predeceased by her parents Peter and Anastastia "Nellie" Skwernuik (nee Butchko).
Bev lived a full life, growing up in a busy household in Calder, Saskatchewan and then Yorkton, Saskatchewan, attending Sacred Heart High School and graduating as Valedictorian before moving to Calgary to attend university. She was later accepted to the University of Waterloo School of Optometry, where she met her future husband. After graduating, she moved to Edmonton with Alex and was married there in 1996.
She was passionate about travelling, and adventure and before having children she enjoyed a trip around the world in 1999 with her husband. She did volunteer work in Jamaica and twice visited Costa Rica to provide eyecare for their rural population.
Her daughters Jillian and Rachel were born in Edmonton, after which she and her family relocated to Courtenay, British Columbia in 2007. Bev loved long cross-country road trips and had no problems being the driver, in fact she was proud of her driving skills and excelled in parallel parking.
She was active in a variety of pursuits, including various sports, running races and triathlons. She trained with Comox Valley Search and Rescue, and when her daughters were old enough, she joined the school's various parent teacher associations. She founded an advocacy group for North Americans suffering side effects from an anti-malarial drug, and was a consistent fundraiser for the Boomer's Legacy Ride and most recently the Wounded Warriors bicycle ride in France.
She loved cycling in general and relished the time she spent on Mount Washington hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing. Bev touched so many people everywhere, and this is reflected in how her friends and family would describe her - as a wonderful, inspiring, beautiful, proud, dedicated, amazing, smart, passionate, active, powerful and vibrant person.
Bev was dedicated to her family and was always searching for the best opportunities for her daughters. She spent twenty-one years married to the love of her life. Her greatest legacies are her beloved children, Jillian and Rachel, who will carry Bev's spirit with them forever.
Psalm 116:15
"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."
A celebration of life will take place at the Native Sons Hall in Courtenay on Sunday, January 21, at 3 pm. This will be a potluck of light fare.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be directed to the Bev Skwernuik Memorial Bursary for female high school students hoping to study science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, which is accessible on a public Facebook site.