About a year ago I finished writing my book, my life story as best I could remember it. I wrote it for my sons, although word got out and a number of other people got to read it also. It began with this
Introduction
To my sons, Brent and Matthew
When my dad, your grandfather, Tony Korobanik (born Timoficj Korbiejnik), died on July 26, 1991 he took with him all memories of his life and family in Ukraine, where he was born, and his early years in Canada before he arrived in Sioux Lookout.
For whatever reason, he adamantly refused to talk about those years. Consequently, he left his 14 children not knowing anything of our family history on our dad’s side.
Having survived a ruptured cerebral aneurysm in 1996 and prostate cancer in 2007, I decided I did not want to leave you wondering those same questions about your family history. So I decided to undertake this venture to try to tell you my story, plus what I have been able to learn about my family history.
It has taken several years to gather enough information and memories and then put it all into words that I hope you will enjoy reading … and will perhaps find useful some day when you are asked about your family history.
It is unfortunate that you never really got to know your Korobanik grandparents, or many of my brothers and sisters. They are all very unique and would have provided you with many hours of laughter and, in many cases, puzzlement. Just as both of you have your own unique personalities, so did all of the Korobaniks.
Tim, the oldest, was a tall, bushy haired outgoing person who loved life more than it could ever love him. He self-taught himself things from playing the 12-string guitar to building radios.
Ted was quiet but strong (physically and mentally), Tanya was a bit of an outspoken (she got that from her mother) risk-taker and Tony, well I just remember him as a staunch defender of mom. Those were my older siblings who had a role, whether they liked it or not, in my upbringing and development.
Terry was a quiet, studious one and Tracy was, to me, the first one to show a rebellious streak. Tom was the rebel and the only one who became a heavy smoker (like his grandmother) and drinker.
I left home before I really got to know the younger ones – Taras, Travers, Treena, Theresa, Shelly and Kirby.
And me? Well I always saw myself as the athletic one, the son who played lots of sports (hockey, baseball, basketball, track) yet was so shy I could never get up enough nerve to even think about asking out a girl in Sioux.
Then there’s mom and dad – gasoline and fire, sunshine and thunderstorms.
Dad had to flee Ukraine as a young man and he was dealt some bad hands early in his life in Canada. Yet he remained a calm, determined individual who worked extremely hard to provide for his family.
Mom, being a Carson, was a shoot-from-the-hip and damn the consequences type. She spoke her mind, often, loudly, and didn’t care who she offended. Get on her wrong side and you would hear about it. She and dad fought often, usually over money and her obsession with bingo.
And while I have no doubt she loved each and every one of us, she often had a strange way of showing it. Like when I first introduced her and your mother Lynne, at that time we were engaged.
Me: "Mom, I would like you to meet my fiancée, Lynne."
Mom, without a moment's hesitation and without even saying hello: "Why did you choose the homeliest one of my sons?"
As Lynne and I stood there in stunned silence – me wondering, am I really the homeliest one? -- and before either of us can respond, mom fired another zinger
Mom: "Are you pregnant?"
Lynne (even more shocked): "N, n, no."
Mom: "So why are you getting married?
