Obituary

On July 2, 2020, Cory Ollikka of Hollow Lake passed away at the age of 49 years. Mourning Cory’s passing are his partner of 12 years, Maureen Parker; his two children, Zia, “Victoria” Ollikka of Saskatoon and Corbyn Ollikka of Hollow Lake; his mom and dad, Joyce Ollikka and Reynard Ollikka; his brother, Todd (Mie) of Edmonton; his parents-in-law, Mike and Joanne Parker of Ponoka; brother-in-law, Gord (Jen) Parker of Ponoka; sisters-in-law, Margo (Jeff) Irons of Calgary, and Michelle Parker of Fort Saskatchewan. Cory was a gentle, caring, witty uncle to nieces and nephews: Mina and Kai Ollikka; Jared, Kate and Emily Parker; Claire, Genevieve and Lily Irons; Dravin and Marcelle Louis. He valued and loved his aunts, uncles and cousins (and their kids) from the Ollikka and Koistinen sides.

Cory was predeceased by his wife, Darcy Ollikka (née Hiar) who was tragically injured in 2006 and passed away in 2009. The Hiar family, including Darcy’s parents, Earl and Clareen, her brother, Trevor, and Trevor’s sons, Dylan and Austin, have remained connected to Corbyn’s and Cory’s lives.

Cory was a devoted – and nothing short of incredible – dad, partner, and friend. He was deeply connected to the land, to cycles and seasons of nature, and to building community at regional, national, and global levels. He understood the relationship between astute policy and community progress, and he believed in dialogue and collaboration to get there. Humour was a significant part of how he saw the world and connected with others. A zinger from Cory was sometimes stated quietly or quietly understated, and this was his way with more than humour. Cory’s contributions to farming and municipal governance were significant, and they all stem from his values of respect, kindness, lifelong learning, and self-leadership, and from his commitment to a more just world.

Keeping each other and our communities safe and healthy in this pandemic was very important to Cory. He spent the past few months leading the local community to find new ways forward – adapting how we get things done, how we create meaningful progress, and how we gather.

A Virtual Celebration of Life will be held on Zoom on Saturday, July 11 from 2:30p.m. – 4:30 PM MDT with friend, Matt Hoven, presiding. This will be followed by a break, and then an informal Virtual Social Gathering from 5:30 – 7:30 PM MDT where we can spend time in breakout rooms sharing stories and memories of Cory.

How to Gather on Saturday:  Specific details, including Zoom link to the Virtual gatherings, can be found right here: tiny.cc/CoryO.  This Celebration of Life will not be recorded. Please respect the sacredness of this space by not taking or posting photos or recordings of this experience. 

Through and following this Celebration of Life, Cory would encourage us all to work through this in the companionship of nature. He would invite us to find our way towards peace, and he wouldn’t pretend or promise that grief can be rushed.

If desired, donations may be made to charities of Cory’s choice:

• National Farmers Foundation online at https://www.nfu.ca/about/national-farmers-foundation/
• CASA Foundation for Child, Adolescent and Family Mental Health online at https://casafoundationyeg.org/ways-to-give/giving-options
• Donations to either organization can be sent by mail to Grace Gardens Funeral Chapel c/o 5626 – 51 Street, St. Paul, AB T0A 3A1.

To offer condolences online, please visit www.gracegardensfuneralchapel.com.

GRACE GARDENS FUNERAL CHAPEL, 5626 – 51 Street, St. Paul, AB T0A 3A1 780-645-2677