Alice Mix

Alice Mix (nee Shymko) Born March 24, 1931, Vegreville AB; died September 9, 2020, Ladysmith BC. Alice was the first child of Rose Hawrelak and George Shymko. She grew up on a farm near Vegreville before the family moved to Edmonton around the time she started school. Tragedy struck Alice’s life early with the sudden death of her father when she was nine years old; Alice assumed the responsibility of looking after her younger sister Dolores while their mother worked to support the family. Alice excelled at music as a child and was blessed with a lovely voice, even being broadcast on local radio singing traditional Ukrainian songs. She met Quentin Mix while they were both members of the University Singers at the University of Alberta, and left her short career as a teacher soon after they married in 1954 to stay home and raise their five children. Alice was a woman of many passions and talents: she was a wonderful cook, a beautiful singer, a determined cross-country skier, and a life-long lover of music and nature. She especially enjoyed over 60 years of singing with the Richard Eaton Singers and four decades of holidays at the cabin at Bridge Lake, BC. Her small stature belied her indomitable will and strongly held opinions, and her deep Christian faith sustained her throughout her life. Quentin and Alice moved from Edmonton to Vancouver Island in 2018 to be closer to family, and Alice passed away after several years of increasing dementia. Survived by her husband of 66 years, Quentin Mix; four of her children, Philip (Enma Guevara), Marilyn (Henry Kriete), Howard (Tracey), and Brian (Brenda Campbell); ten grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. Predeceased by her son Douglas (Valerie Hipkiss) and her sister Dolores Shymko.