It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Clarence "Clancy" Roswalka on July 10, 2022 at Teck Pioneer Residence, surrounded by his loving family.
Clancy was born in Kirkland Lake in 1934, the son of Polish immigrants, Josephine, who was taken suddenly when he was just 4 years old, and Felix. He was raised by his dad along with generous assistance from the ladies at the Polish Hall. It's there where Clancy developed a love of music, having access to musical instruments, and became a member of the Polka Dots band, playing drums and saxophone. He graduated from KLCVI, class of 1953, then from the Haileybury School of Mines and attended Ryerson. Clancy had an adventurous spirit and passion for the outdoors that led him to a career with Lands & Forests which later became the Ministry of Natural Resources.
He enjoyed many outdoor activities and travelled from coast to coast with his family throughout the years, up into his 80s. He camped and hiked the Rockies & Appalachians, swam in the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, canoed and fished numerous lakes and rivers, explored the shores of Newfoundland and had a fondness for the White Mountains of New Hampshire. In the winters, skiing was his passion. He started with downhill skiing, as a ski patroller and then CSIA ski instructor for many years at Raven Mountain, with countless ski trips to mountains across Canada, the US, Switzerland and Italy. Later his passion included cross-country skiing, where he tirelessly volunteered and maintained the Kirkland Lake cross country ski trails for 30 plus years, culminating in a CJKL Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding service for the community, and the ski trails located behind the Joe Mavrinac Community Complex being named after him.
Clancy will be missed by his wife, Joyce, children Michael (Eleanor) Roswalka and Janis (Larry Demers) Roswalka, and his faithful feline companions. He was an animal lover who had a talent for carving magical creatures out of wood. He enjoyed spending many hours tinkering in his workshop and could build just about anything using wood. He spent many weekends as a ski specialist at Saul's Ladies, Mens and Sports store. He was a reserved, private individual who had a good sense of humour and enjoyed helping people, whether it was to help with their tennis swing, string a racket or mount bindings onto skis. He enjoyed a variety of sports, and loved playing and watching tennis and badminton and later took up golf. Later on in life, his musical talents expanded to include the guitar, banjo and keyboard, all self-taught. He also enjoyed photography and had an eye for capturing captivating landscapes and structures. After work retirement, he rescued and adopted his faithful companion, Meisha, who went everywhere he did. She was one of the best walked/skied dogs in town, thanks to him!
Our sincere gratitude to the staff at Teck Pioneer Residence who made his time there comfortable. In lieu of flowers, if one wishes, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society.
Clancy will be dearly missed. Per Clancy's wishes, following cremation, a celebration of life will be held privately with family members.
