Obituary of Kathleen Gladys Chlopan
Kathleen (Kathy) Gladys (Rothwell) Chlopan passed peacefully on January 2, 2023. She was predeceased by her husband of 50 years, Carroll Chlopan; parents Dorothy and Richard Rothwell; brothers Richard and Gordon; sisters Dora Laing and June Rothwell. She will be missed by her children, daughters Lesley (Randy Magnus) of Saskatoon; Barbara (Felipe Diaz) of Ottawa; sons Richard (Lisa) Chlopan of Victoria and Scott Chlopan of Montreal; as well as granddaughter Halle and step grandchildren Ryan (Justine; Ryden and Eli), Christian Magnus, Madeleine Bowen-Diaz and Lena Bowen-Diaz. She cherished her many friends, cousins, nieces, nephews, and her constant companion for the past 12 years, David Dean.
Kathy was born in Yorkton and grew up on the family farm in the Rural District of Orkney. There, she attended a one-room schoolhouse where the classroom was shared by grades 1 to 10. After taking her grade 9 by correspondence, she attended the Yorkton High School for grades 10 to 12, graduating in 1955. Always wanting to be a teacher, she realized that although her dad wanted her to go to Teacher’s College, it financially would have been a hardship. To help her family, she put that dream on hold and acquired a job in the Toronto Dominion Bank in Yorkton. There, she met a bright young pharmacist who came in to open a bank account, named Carroll Chlopan. They married in 1958 and promptly moved to Regina where her new husband was employed by McNeil’s Drug Store. The bank helped as well by transferring her to a branch in Regina, where she continued to work another five years until the birth of her first child, Lesley.
When Carroll became a partner with Bi-Rite Drugs, she was always supportive and would assist this new business venture in many ways. During the years of getting this retail drug store business established, Carroll was often working many long hours. Kathy supported him by keeping things going at home while being on call to fill in at any one of the stores when they were short staffed.
As a parent, she was always supportive of everything her children were doing. She encouraged them to follow their dreams, value education, and work hard. She never missed a game or any event, even serving on the Massey Home and School Board.
Kathy was a firm believer in helping others. Feeling that she had been given many opportunities and experienced many acts of kindness, she lived by the concept of ‘passing it on’. She always had a cause, whether it was doing charity work or simply quietly helping others. There was almost always someone in the family home; where she would help to jump start or brighten up their life in any way. Often, it was just a home cooked meal for someone who was homesick and in need of a friend. Kathy was always glad to open up her home to others, showing them love and joy.
When a friend came to ask for help in starting a business in the desktop publishing industry, she joined Sparrow Publishing House Limited. After a year, the original partner left, leaving the business heavily in debt. True to her style, declaring bankruptcy was out of the question, and she set out to learn as much as she could to take over. As she said, “I just couldn’t leave people who were counting on me for payments”. She accomplished this and eventually, with the help of another partner, turned the business into a full-fledged print shop. After years of quality work, the company was sold to Supreme Office Products.
Kathy’s two greatest characteristics were her passion for politics and her dedication to her church. For many years, she was active in the Liberal Party, serving on the provincial executive and even running campaigns. She had many friends in politics, and it wasn’t unusual for there to be MPs or MLAs at her home, often enjoying that home cooked meal.
Kathy was a very religious person throughout her life. She and Carroll were founding members of All Saint’s Anglican Church. Later, they were involved with St. Matthew Anglican Church, to which they dedicated much time and energy. Kathy considered the people at St. Matthew’s her extended family.
No funeral will be had at this time; a Memorial Service will be planned in May. In lieu of flowers, donations to a scholarship being established at the University of Saskatchewan College of Pharmacy in Carroll’s name are welcomed. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com.
