Roger ANDREIUK

It is with great sadness the family of Roger Andreiuk announces his passing on April 3, 2024, at the age of 66. Roger will be sadly missed by Fern Richardson, his wife of 41 years, daughters Jessica and Emily (Clifford), granddaughter Abigail, sister Helen, brothers John (Theresa) and Gordon (Bernadette), nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, John and Cecile Andreiuk, sister Christine, brother David and brother-in-law Mike. Roger was born in Spirit River, Alberta. He was deeply rooted in agriculture from his earliest days as a young sprout, growing up on a farm in the Rycroft area. He graduated university with a degree in agriculture and began his career with the provincial government as a District Agriculturist and later a Crop Specialist. Along the way Roger continued to dig into his passion for soils and probe the critical role they play in food production. He went back to university and obtained a master’s degree in the study of soil science. If you are wondering, “Soil is what plants grow in. Dirt is what’s under your fingernails.” Roger explored different positions after leaving the government, a highlight being Alberta Reduced Tillage LINKAGES, which combined his love of soils, soil conservation, research, and relationship building. Roger eventually grew his own business, offering customized soil, crop and fertilizer management to select farmers across the province. He was outstanding in his field and often found out standing in the fields of others! Roger wasn’t all about soils and agriculture. The other joy of his life was family. He took great pleasure in time spent with the family, working on projects together, and gathering to break bread and other tasty treats. He was a curious guy, able to strike up a conversation with anyone about anything as he cultivated the personal relationships that were so important to him. Roger always had time for you and enjoyed both learning from you and sharing his knowledge with you. He relished working and playing in nature; camping in the summer, boating on the Peace River and fall hunting trips in his earlier years. He was easy-going until the issue mattered deeply to him and then he could be as tenacious as a bloodhound on the scent. Time was a construct in which he had only a passing interest. He was known fondly by many as the late Roger Andreiuk, and it was widely recognized that he ran on Roger Standard Time. There is a Roger-sized hole left in the lives of those who knew him well. Cremation has taken place. Celebrations of Roger’s life will be held at: Cloverlawn Community Centre Hall- Sunday, June 9, 2024 at 2 p.m. (Corner of Range Road 233 and Hwy 616, Leduc County, AB T0C 1Z0), and Rycroft Community Memorial Hall – Saturday, July 6, 2024 at 2 p.m. The family would like to express their gratitude to the many health care professionals who helped Roger during this journey including: Dr. Robert Simard, Dr. Rahul Bhandari, staff at the Cross Cancer Institute, Regional Palliative Home Care, Leduc Home Care, Leduc Fire Service and the Grey Nun’s Hospital Emergency Department and Unit 44. Memorial donations in Roger’s honour may be made to Nature Conservancy Canada https://www.natureconservancy.ca or Canadian Lung Association.
https://www.lung.ca