Obituary of Steve Kereliuk

KERELIUK, Steve October 15, 1930 – April 13, 2026 After a long, amazing life, Steve Kereliuk passed away peacefully at the age of 95 years surrounded by his loving family. Steve will be remembered by his son Randy (Cindy); daughters Crystal (Jeannot) and Dena (Dan); his treasured grandchildren Kayla, Colin (Hayley), Colten (Kim); and precious great-grandson Luke; sisters Shirley (Tom) Ewanchuk and Marge Wyatt. He was predeceased by his loving wife Virginia; parents Harry and Irene Kereliuk; two brothers Nick (Rose) and Alex (Sonia); and brother-in-law Eli Demchuk. Steve will be remembered for his smile, his kind heart, his jokes, storytelling, love of his family, and his sense of community. Throughout his life he loved sports. He played snooker, bowled, curled, and threw horseshoes His favourites being hockey, golf, baseball, and let’s not forget the Sunshine Club floor curling league. He was a founding father of the Vegreville Sports Hall of Fame and a dedicated member of the Vegreville Museum. In 1960 Steve and Virginia opened “Steven’s Drive Inn.” The first Dairy Drive-In in Vegreville and area. He operated a service station, Kerr’s West End Gulf. They owned peanut and candy vending machines. He then owned a service station and R.V. sales in Lavoy. Steve and Virgina then operated a Vehicle Registries and Insurance Agency in Vegreville. As a youngster dad excelled in both hockey and baseball. His excellent baseball skills earned him a tryout in Texas, but due to his young age (16) and finances it ended up being a lost dream. He golfed until the age of 92. At the age 87 he got his first hole in one on hole #9 in Vegreville. Then at age 90 repeated the feat on hole #6. Dad was an avid music lover and a fan of old-time dance music. His grandson Colin’s fiddle playing and the Off Ramp Boys, always brought out a huge smile and he would close his eyes and dream that he and Virginia were out on the dance floor. Dad touched many hearts and will be missed immensely. His 9 o’clock coffee club at Chin’s will have one empty seat at their next meeting. In keeping with Steve’s wishes, cremation has taken place. Memorial donations may be made to a local charity of one’s choice.