At our club meeting on July 17, 2026, we paid tribute to our Member for Life, Walter Stachnyk, who passed away on June 18, 2026 in his 91st year. He was a member of our club for 53 years and was bestowed with the honourary title of “Member for Life”. Club President Crista Renner shared memories from members who had known and worked with Walter during his active Rotary years, and then other club members added their comments, too.
We were pleased to have Walter's daughter, Christine Benedetti, in attendance at this club meeting.
CLUB TRIBUTE TO OUR MEMBER FOR LIFE
WALTER STACHNYK
October 20, 1935 - June 18, 2026
Presentation by Club President Crista Renner on July 17, 2026
O Canada
Walter Joined Rotary on November 17th, 1972. It was that year, February 28, 1972, that the Secretary of State, Gérard Pelletier, introduced a bill to the House of Commons, proposing that O Canada be formally adopted as our country’s national anthem. It wouldn't become the officially adopted national anthem until 1980, but the 1972 parliamentary bill was a turning point, putting forward the officially recognized lyrics in both English and French that are a little different from today’s. The lyrics proposed in 1972 also featured the line "in all thy sons command," which remained in place until a 2018 amendment changed it to "in all of us command".
In honour of Walter’s joining date, I would like to play the original version of O Canada:
https://youtu.be/tQaQHV3BVA0?si=IP5xabWYX8SCiUTh
Honouring Walter
We open today’s meeting by honouring the life of Walter Stachnyk, a "Member for Life" who dedicated 53 years to our Rotary mission. In the spirit of the 106-year history of our club, we recognize that members like Walter provide the wisdom, history, and dedication that serve as our foundation. Walter embodied "Service Above Self", and today we pay our respects to Walter by sharing some of the traditions we celebrate in our club that he helped to build.
I did not have the privilege of knowing Walter myself, but the depths of his impact are seen everywhere in our club. His name is spoken with warmth and reverence by anyone who served alongside him and his presence was a commitment to “Service Above Self”.
During his 53 years as a faithful Rotarian, it is said that Walter had an opinion about everything - and it was always worth listening to! His insights were legendary and alongside his service he provided over half a century of friendly debate that kept our club vibrant and sharp. His intelligence and warm conviction made him an essential part of our Rotary family, and our club’s history.
There were several members who wanted to be here today to talk about Walter, but they couldn’t attend, so I am sharing some of their stories on their behalf, including from Walter’s Rotary friends Dennis Weiler, Helmuth Slisarenko, and Murray Taylor.
Walter became a true fundraising giant in our club, and his legacy continues to live on with Sparkles In The Park - now an “annual tradition” for many families.
Walter was born in Saskatchewan before moving to Ontario in the 1930s. His professional excellence that led him to become a VP at Linamar - where he was a personal confidant of Frank Hasenfrantz - mirrored his Rotary dedication, including many years on our Board of Directors and being honoured by our club as a Member for Life. He was described as a man of deep passions and warm humour. Helmuth talked about his artistic side as well, with some extraordinarily realistic water bird wood carvings. He carried his Ukrainian heritage with immense pride, often greeting friends in Ukrainian and sharing his culture.
Our club used to have a Dream Home Lottery, a fundraiser that brought in significant funds for our community ($1 million, at around $100,000 per year for 10 years). A part of its success was Walter’s push to pioneer payroll deductions at Linamar to make it more accessible for hundreds of employees at Linamar to participate. One year, a Linamar employee actually won the Dream Home. He believed that true leadership meant looking ahead, advocating for "succession shadows" to make sure the wisdom of long-time members was transferred to new members, especially with activities like Sparkles in the Park.
It seemed that Walter always had an eye on the future. He chaired the Environment Committee in 1995, long before we were talking about the challenges of forest fires and climate change. Fundraising, World Community Service, and Vocational Service were all committees he chaired or vice chaired for several years.
Walter’s adventures took him far and wide, including a memorable journey through the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea, traveling all the way to Crimea and Odessa. These travels were often shared with his beloved Anna, and Helmuth shared that his stories from the road were as vibrant as his life at home.
Walter was recognized as a Rotary Member for Life at our club for his wisdom, dedication, and commitment to "Service Above Self". Today we remember him not just for the length of his service, but for the depth of his character.
May we all strive to carry the community spirit that Walter Stachnyk held high for over half our club’s history.
Today we toast Walter. To Walter.
Also see Remembering Walter Stachnyk on our website