Obituary of Ginia June Mary Blazosek
Ginia June Mary Blazosek was born in Edmonton, Alberta on March 4, 1957, and passed away March 12, 2024, in Fort St. John, BC. She was so much more than just her name, or where she was born and died. Ginia lived many lives within her 67 years. She was a complex woman, who endured her share of hardship and struggle, yet through it all the love she had for her family was evident.
Memories flood forward as we process her passing. It’s hard to put it all into words and to know what memories to share. We can still hear her laugh and see her smile. She loved having her nails and make-up done, even as she struggled with her health in her later years. She always loved a good purse.
Ginia was the second-born and eldest daughter of seven children in the Blazosek family. And beyond being a loving big sister, her early years wouldn’t be complete without noting her special relationship with her Aunty Barb, Uncle Doug, and Cousin Trina. She shared countless stories of her time spent with them.
Later in life, she met her ex-husband Ed Clish and the Clish Clan. Looking back at their 1970’s December wedding pictures, there was such hope of a new life, anticipation of new adventures, and love. The early years of her marriage to Ed and her new extended family, were some of her happiest times in her life. Ginia made a lifelong friendship that goes beyond blood to her sister-in-law Chris. Ginia and Ed became parents to David and Jennifer and eventually divorced in the late 1980s.
The little things about Ginia’s day-to-day life spring to mind. Ginia never passed up the chance to buy a lotto ticket, full of hope that a winning number could be a life-changer. She absolutely loved Tim Hortons - her favourite order was an ice cappuccino and a honey cruller donut. Many of us have lovingly laughed while fondly remembering her bumble bee tattoo. No one knows the story behind the tattoo, and the mystery behind the tattoo makes sense when we think of Ginia. She sought to be loved and understood but much of her life occurred in a time when mental health and illness, especially for women, was understudied, misunderstood, and often misdiagnosed. As a result, Ginia, like the mighty bumble bee, faced more barriers and obstacles than was fair or kind but she did her best to push through with fierce determination.
Ginia was an artist. She created beauty for the many children in her life. Beyond the many art projects, she did with her siblings as a child, as an adult she painted her family’s basement playroom to include characters on a rock path for her children, a rainbow in her niece Tia’s bedroom and when her grandson, Aiden, was a baby, she painted a jungle in his bedroom.
No story of Ginia’s life would be complete without talking about the deep, encompassing love she had for her children and grandchildren.
Ginia’s eldest child David was her light in the dark. He was her everything. David’s son, and her grandson, Aiden, brought her indescribable joy. One of the great pleasures of her life was witnessing Aiden grow up, and she was so proud of the young man that he is becoming. They loved her wholly and unconditionally.
She would talk about how her daughter, Jennifer (Matthew) was her strength and her rock. No matter their physical distance Jennifer journeyed with Ginia, speaking with her on the phone many times a day, advocating for Ginia’s care, and ensuring she had what she needed. Ginia deeply loved her two grand-daughters, Emily and Kaitlyn.
Even into their adulthood, Ginia lovingly referred to Tia, Nicole & Brittany as her “Mucci Babies.” They may have been her nieces, but she loved them as if they were her own kids. For Dave and Jennifer, the Mucci’s are an extra set of sisters and there is a depth to their relationships that Ginia and her late sister, Sharon, would be moved by.
Brittany’s bond with Ginia started in Brittany’s childhood and will last beyond Ginia’s final days in the warm memories that Brittany’s daughters, Maysi and Sabre, have of their ‘Aunty Grandma’. They brought Ginia a lot of joy in her later years, often visiting with her for hours at a time, helping decorate her room at Peace Villa with drawings, and bringing laughter and wonder to her as she became less mobile.
In the last few years of Ginia’s life, she struggled with many health issues, and was cared for with love and dignity at Peace Villa. Over the last several months, Cavin, her nephew, often provided Ginia comfort through prayer and presence over Facetime. Her niece Tia, who held a special place in Ginia’s heart and tried to ensure that Ginia was included in many different family gatherings at her home over the years, was with Ginia in her final moments, loving her, praying, and holding her hand when she took her last breath.
Obituaries often include a section that lists who she was loved by, and who she left behind, but the task feels impossible.
She leaves behind:
Her mother, June Blazosek; siblings Michele (Ken), Anna (Mark), and Steven (Mark); brother in-law Brian; grandchildren - Aiden, Emily and Kaitlyn; nephews - Cavin, Zachary, and Ben; nieces - Conin (Landon), Tia (Cody), Nicole (Adam), and Brittany (Brook); great-nieces Chantal, Maysi, Sabre, and Astrid; and great-nephews, Gabe, Liam, Kale, Zane, and Teddy.
Ginia is predeceased by:
Her father, Stanley Blazosek Sr. (1998), brother, Stanley Blazosek (Wendy) (2024), and sisters, Carolyn (Brian) (2017) & Sharon (Lonnie) (2007), and brother-in-law, Lonnie (1997).
There really is never enough time with the people we love. Ginia will be remembered by many. She is loved deeply, and we feel grateful that she is no longer struggling with her health and that her spirit is free.
Jennifer and David, and their families, wish to thank the nurses and care aids at Peace Villa for their dignifying care of Ginia.
We will forever remember and love you, mom.
Those we loved never truly leave us.
There are things that death cannot touch.
-Jack Thorne
For everything there is a season,
A time for every matter under the sun.
A time to be born and a time to die.
-Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, verses 1 & 2.
To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ginia Blazosek, please visit Tribute Store
