Obituary of Christopher Joseph William Stepaniuk

November 9, 1981 – Calgary, Alberta

September 30, 2022 - Calgary, Alberta

Christopher “Chris” Stepaniuk of Calgary, Alberta, passed away on Friday, September 30, 2022 at the age of 40 years.

Christopher was born in Calgary, Alberta, on November 9, 1981. He succumbed to cancer on September 30, 2022, at the Tom Baker Centre, in Calgary.

Chris was a swimmer, he loved to swim, to compete, and just be around others! His mom always joked that if we were in a ‘Boat’ together and it was sinking, he’d have to save his mom, he laughed! He never hesitated to jump off a boat while at Lake Kalamalka, BC, when the family holidayed there, it was then they knew it was time for swimming lessons. He joined the Grande Prairie Swim Club and the Piranhas in the early 90’s and swam with them for six years, no slouch at all.

Chris loved computers, and went to school at DeVry University in Calgary, where he did it for three years, year-round. WOW, what an accomplishment! He had high honours in his class and received a few bursaries as well for his further schooling. His profs loved him, he was a helpful student and excelled at whatever he did.

The family owned a company called Jedex Equipment which was online to sell certain equipment, Chris was our “programmer” and knew every nook and cranny there was. He wrote a “user-friendly” program for people who weren’t Computer Savvy, and it was great! He had numerous jobs after that doing what he loved, programming.

He shared a place with one of his friends and that went well, till he decided to get his own place to make it his own! He bought a condo in an apartment building in the “Beltline” which he was proud of, it was his, and as he told me, “I’m paying the mortgage”, doing the adult thing. He was proud of living on his own.

He went on a few trips as well, went to Paris, saw the sights, and took a few trips to Vancouver to the ocean, as he loved water!

The last four years Chris worked for J.D. Power, a Computer Programming Company which was based out of Toronto. He was hired to work remotely which suited him fine. He learned as time went on how to program chips for cars, quite an intensive program to do but Chris was up for the task. His boss was impressed at how quickly Chris caught on to the programming OR solved an issue he had. Thinking on his feet was one of the things he did, which he did well!

J.D. Power enjoyed Chris as an employee and later asked him to teach a group of interns how to program as well. Chris was a great teacher and taught and coached these young guys how to program chips, how to follow the instructions and be mindful of what to do.

Chris was an all-around individual who always wanted to help in any way, was kind to others, and stood up for people when he felt they needed defending. He was known for his hugs and for his selfies. Towards the end when you mentioned selfie, he had a “HUGE” smile on his face and said let’s get after it.

Chris will be missed by all. There is a quietness in our household, even the two cats notice, they go to look for Chris and find he isn’t there.

We are thankful we had Chris for as long as we did. 40 years of age is young, but the cancer had other ideas for him. May he be dancing with the grandparents, aunts, and uncles that predeceased him. They’re all having a good time.

He is survived by his parents, Joe and Deb Stepaniuk; and his best friend and sister, Dianne Stepaniuk. A few good friends were also by his side, Luis and Stephanie, or as he liked calling them, “partners in

crime”! He is also survived by his aunts, uncles, and cousins in both in Canada and the U.S., and numerous friends.

Chris chose to be cremated and to have a Celebration of His Life which we intend on doing. This will be in mid-January or sometime thereafter. An announcement and date will follow later. Condolences, memories, and photos can also be shared and viewed here.

In living memory of Christopher Stepaniuk, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Crowfoot, 82 Crowfoot Circle NW, Calgary, AB T3G 2T3, Telephone: 403-241-0044.