Sudbury woman rings in new year by turning 100
While most of us will be ringing in a new year and leaving 2021 behind us, Sudbury senior Kay Wowk will be marking a different milestone.
Wowk is ringing in a new century and is now the city's newest 'centenarian.'
"It's actually hard to believe that she's already 100-years-old, she's such a strong woman and we're completely floored by this day," said granddaughter Ashley Larocque from her Ottawa home.
Wowk was born on January 1, 1922 in a small village in the Ukraine.
She immigrated to Canada at the age of 17 and lived in Edmonton for several years before moving to Sudbury in the early 50s with her family.
She's called the 'Nickel City' home ever since.
"We've been looking forward to this all year," smiled another granddaughter Christy Larocque. "Last Christmas I took a picture of her and it was 99 years with this beautiful lady and we just thought, can she make one more Christmas"
Known affectionately to her family as 'Baba', a tribute to her Ukrainian heritage, Wowk was a stay-at-home mom who later worked at various restaurants and the Sudbury General Hospital as her children grew older.
It wasn't until her late forties that she would get her driver's license, ever since then, she's been constantly on the go.
"I remember she used to come up to our camp and she would bring me out with her to pick blueberries. She would be bent over at like 90 degrees for hours and hours and after like five minutes I would just throw the basket down and take off, she's super strong," laughed grandson Brent Dewit from Toronto.
Wowk now calls the Ukrainian Seniors' Residence in downtown Sudbury home. If there was a common thread to what the family admires most, it's likely her feistiness, a love of life and a spark that continues to shine.
The secret to her longevity, her loved ones say it likely has to do something with her clean living.
"My baba lives a simple life, she never drinks, she never smoked - gardening was her passion when we were growing up, like her garden was the size of my backyard," said Christy.
"Probably the bingo, a steady flow of crib games and probably that good old Ukrainian food - those cabbage rolls and pirogies," said Brent.
But don't let that sweet disposition fool you should you ever find yourself on the opposing side of a cribbage board.
Kay Wowk immigrated to Canada at the age of 17 and lived in Edmonton for several years before moving to Sudbury in the early 50s with her family. (Supplied)Kay Wowk immigrated to Canada at the age of 17 and lived in Edmonton for several years before moving to Sudbury in the early 50s with her family. (Supplied)
The grandchildren laugh, she is an independent woman who doesn't like to lose.
"Her bingo, going to her bingo all time. Always, it's Baba's got her bingo, got her bingo - she's got to do her own groceries," smiled great-granddaughter Ella Daoust.
Family members had been planning her 100th birthday for sometime but opted for a smaller celebration with only a handful of loved ones. During this period of the pandemic, they wanted to keep her safe.
"We're going to stay put and keep everyone healthy and that's okay. We'll give her a hug when we can - when it's safer for her," said Ashley.
And while she's bestowed a lot of lessons to the younger generation over the past several decades, everything from knitting to cribbage, the best lesson of all they say is how she's lived every day to its fullest.
"I think she lives a very healthy lifestyle. If you know Ukrainian food, it's not very spicy, it's not very fatty, it's very blah and I think if we all went back to basics it would probably help us a lot but we don't," laughed Christy.
"She shows no signs of slowing down which is absolutely incredible," smiled Brent.
"I hope that me and my other family members could be so lucky. For years she's been the only grandparent left and she's still going strong which is amazing."
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