Antoinette Theresa Balaski (NEE McCORMICK)

Terry, as she preferred to be called, passed away peacefully at Foyer Maillard Care Home in Coquitlam, BC. She was born near Wapella, Saskatchewan, the first of nine children born to Neil Dan McCormick and Solveig Marie McCormick (nee Johnson).

She was pre-deceased by her husband, John and her oldest son, Dale, both her parents, brothers Clare, Chris, and Frank, and sister Anne Larkin.

She is survived by her youngest son, Gary, his wife Gail, also grandchildren: Gary Jr. and wife Valerie, daughter Robyn and partner Fons, Sonny James of the Philippines, and four great grandchildren: Skye Anne, Jonah, Catalina and Gabriel. She was also survived by her sisters Clara Lueck and Rita Mollekin of Regina, Agnes Palmer of Ottawa, and brother Wayne of Burnaby, along with numerous nieces and nephews.

She married her husband John in 1946 when he returned from the war, and they lived their entire married life in Regina, Saskatchewan. Several years after John passed away, she moved to Langley, B.C. in June of 2009 to be closer to her son, Gary, and family. In October 2023 she moved to assisted living in Burnaby after two major hip injuries. Later, after a lengthy hospital stay, her health continued to deteriorate and she moved to Foyer Maillard, a long-term care facility in Coquitlam.

She was a talented artist and master of putting ships and various scenes in bottles using her talents with crafts and carving. She retired from a Supervisory position with the Regina Cosmo Centre in 1989 where she worked with the handicapped. She loved dancing and old-time country music. She had a group of lady friends after retirement that spent a lot of time together going to painting classes and afternoon dancing. Summers were spent at Buffalo Pound Lake where she absorbed nature and thoroughly enjoyed visiting and playing cards with her sisters and their families. She was a one-of-a-kind woman and will be missed by all that knew her.

Dear Mom,

God saw you getting tired when a cure was not to be,

So, He closed His arms around you and whispered, “Come to Me.”

You didn’t deserve what you went through, so He took you home to rest,

God’s garden must be beautiful, for He only takes the best.

God bless you mom,

Your loving family.