John William Belansky
December 21st, 2023
It is with the deepest sorrow and sadness that we announce the passing of John Belansky on December 21, 2023, at the age of 80. His beautiful bride Shirley predeceased John after 54 years of marriage in 2017. Surviving are his two children, Grant (Tracey) and Leanne (Guy), eight grandchildren, Ross, Taylor, Logan, Natalie, Alex, Bryce, Curtis, and Darnel. Two Great grandchildren, Axton, and Walker.
John was the youngest of six children born to August and Stephania Belansky. He was the only child born on the rural property in North Aldergrove where he resided most of his life until his passing.
John became a faller at a young age, falling in many areas of Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast, and the Lower Mainland. He returned to the farm so his children could begin school in a permanent place. He began a career in mushroom farming for over a few decades then returned to falling until a career ending injury in 1999.
John and Shirley enjoyed their retirement spending lots of family time with grandchildren, especially in the summer at their pool.
John will be remembered for his kind and generous spirit. He shared many stories of his falling adventures and videos of some of his impressive work. John taught himself almost every discipline of construction building his house and was able to trouble shoot almost any mechanical issue on the farm.
John will be greatly missed by his friends and family, but fondly remembered for years to come.
A celebration of life will be at later date.
One thing that Mary Ann and I looked forward to on our visits from Toronto was the opportunity to catch up with John & Shirley. They were always so positive and energized, even while dealing with the issues that life presents us with as we age. After Shirley passing Guy and Leanne made time for us to visit John at his home. Our visits were often unannounced but we were always greeted with a smile, warm hospitality, and usually the offer of a beer. Conversations with John highlighted his knowledge, curiosity, humility, and unique sense of humour. I always left feeling better than I had before I arrived. The world would be a better place if we all had a bit more of John in us. His love and pride for his family was obvious in his face whenever he spoke of them. May his memory be a blessing for his family and all who knew him. John & Mary Ann