Sophie Hamar

On May 8, 2025, Sophie Hamar passed away surrounded by members of her family.

Sophie is remembered lovingly by her son Dale Hamar (Deborah Ladouceur) and daughters Debra Hamar (Steve Preboy), Dana (David) Robb, Shelly (Jim) Booth, Michelle (Kirk) Nyquist, Lori Hamar; her grandchildren Kyla Robb, Sarah (Tom Skinner), Casey (Janelle) Robb, Daniel (Karlee) Booth, David (Azure) Booth, Coyne Nyquist (Charley Swan), Andrew Booth (Kelly Anderson), Michael Nyquist, Sophie Shields, and her great grandchildren Asher, James, Penny, Greyson, Keira, Emerson, Cassandra, and Florence; by her sisters Anne Fleming and Jane Armstrong, brothers Nick (Lucille) Burdek and Dennis (Barbara) Burdek, sister-in-law Doris Burdek, and by Sophie’s extended family and her many friends. Sophie was predeceased by her parents Peter and Doris Burdek, her husband Jimmy, her brothers John Burdek and George Burdek, and her sisters Mary Rizzoli and Lilly Onischuk.

Sophie will be remembered as someone who loved her family, her friends and her community. She served her community as a member of the Royal Purple, the Royal Canadian Legion Ladies Auxiliary and multiple other organizations and was an active supporter of the Lac La Biche Pow-Wow Days, organizing, running and later assisting with the Seniors’ Fish Fry, even when she was well into her “senior years” herself. Sophie was involved in the business community as well, with Hamar Groceries, Hamar’s Bakery and in her own Sophie’s Place café. She was generous to her friends and never forgot the lessons learned and the generosity of others when she was a girl growing up on her parents’ farm. Her family was everything to her, and she always took great delight when the youngest generation visited or video called. Mom often expressed her love for others through food – be it poppy seed cakes or cinnamon buns delivered to others who had suffered a loss, to making homemade chicken rice soup when family was arriving after a long drive. Any visit to Sophie’s house was met with an invitation to have tea or a treat of some sort – even in the last weeks in the hospital, her girls quickly learned that they needed to have snacks and drinks available for Mom to offer her visitors.

A funeral service will take place on Saturday, May 17, 2025 at 10:00 am at the Craigend Community Hall, with the Rev. Fr. Dr. Roman Shiyan officiating. Interment will follow in the St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church cemetery, followed by a lunch at the hall.
 

Sophie’s children wish to thank the staff at the Wm. J. Cadzow Health Center who were part of her care team over the past four weeks – doctors, nurses, lab technicians, kitchen staff and housekeeping – all of you had your own part to play while Mom was in hospital, and we thank each of you for your care and compassion. In lieu of flowers, donations to St. Demetrius Ukrainian Orthodox Church (c/o Box 362 Lac La Biche, Alberta  T0A 2C0), the Lac La Biche Regional Health Foundation (Box 1533, Lac La Biche, Alberta  T0A 2C0), or a charity of your choice in Sophie’s memory would be appreciated.

Memory Eternal!

Вічна пам'ять!

~ Respectfully submitted by the Hamar family ~

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sophie Hamar, please visit our floral store.