An amazing life!...............................

                                     

Yesterday there was a gathering at the local RSL Hall to farewell and remember my neighbour, Nic, who passed away in February at the grand age of 94 years!! He had managed to stay in his own home until the last week of his life, although with some home help, which is the ideal way to do it. 

I have known Nic since we moved into this house in the year 2000. He was a great neighbour, and always looked out for things when I was away. In earlier years he fed the cat, watered the garden, and sometimes even pulled out the weeds. And even up until the last week, he would pick up my paper from the lawn and place it by the front door. 

Nic was an early riser, and he used to walk every morning, with his dog, picking up the papers for a lot of people and put them by their doors. Sometimes there would be fruit or vegies left out for him in return. One lady told me that he would stand at the window and tell them what the weather was like before they got out of bed!! A few years ago his dog died and he was devastated.

                             

I have been thinking about writing this post for a couple of weeks now, and yesterday his nephew, Alex made a speech at the gathering, and I acknowledge that these are his words.... THANKYOU Alex.

Nic had a very interesting history............He was born in the Ukraine in 1929 and landed in Fremantle, WA in July 1950, after emigrating from a devastated post war Europe. He was just 21.

Like many migrants he saw an opportunity in a new country unscathed by war, and after a short stay at the Army camp migrant centre in WA, he was flown to Adelaide with many others, to help relieve a post war labour shortage there.

He ended up working as a labourer on the transcontinental railway, to pay back Australia for his assisted passage, an apt job considering he told Australian officials in Austria he was a coal miner.

He was in fact a professional ballet dancer, trained at the Moiseyev dance school and toured with the company's National Folk Ballet. Under the Stalinist Soviet regime, members of the Ballet company were coerced to spy on each other, so Nick - who was around 16 or 17 - escaped across the border to Czechoslovakia and managed to get a Czech passport with the help of his brother.......A dancer on the run, and on his way to adventures abroad.

Eventually Nic managed to get moved back to Adelaide. Now free to pursue life his way, Nick returned to dance - teaching and performing in the Ukranian Folk Dance Ensemble, where he met the love of his life.

(Sorry for the quality of this pic, but it is taken through the glass frame, but you get the idea)

They married and moved to Bordertown in 1955, to take up a business of dry cleaning. (He had worked at a Dry Cleaners, while living and dancing in Adelaide.) Nic and Anny made Bordertown home and in 1956 became Australian Citizens.

Later Nic studied podiatry part time in Adelaide, eventually graduating and setting up practice locally. He then began teaching ballet to the local Bordertown children, in the RSL hall. He loved the community and was a member of many local groups. ..........

Anny and Nic did not have children, and so it was one of his nephew's, Alex who was there for Nic when he needed help in the last few years. Thankyou Alex, he would have been lost without you.

I have a few photos of my own .........

Nic dressed as Santa for one of the Gum Tree Quilters Christmas parties, handing out the gifts and playing Christmas songs on his guitar for us..............

                                         

When I opened The Sanctuary for retreats, there was an afternoon tea to raise funds for BCNA and  Nic came to play his guitar and entertain us............

                                        

..................there was a Christmas in July retreat, and he entertained us with Christmas songs........

                                      

   .............and our teacher, Faye, was also entertained!!! (What is the rotary cutter for Faye?? Did he get too close??)

                             

Nic was a very proud Australian, and always had his flag flying on the front fence every Australia Day. One morning I met him as he came back from his early morning walk, very frustrated with Australian people as hardly anyone had a flag flying. He thought we were a rather apathetic people, and perhaps he was right. Because we had not lived through the devastation that Nic had known??

                                

There were a few New Year's Eve gatherings at Number 8, and we enjoyed Nic's company. Here he is proudly wearing his Ukranian shirt, with the front embroidery.

.................and another evening's entertainment as only Nic could do it.

Sorry this pic is a bit blurry. Anny spent time in the nursing home after she developed dementia, and Nic would visit every day and usually play the guitar for her and the other residents.

Anny passed away in 2010, and this left Nic devastated. 

I will finish with Alex's words again...................He is remembered for his love of life, his resilience, and his ability to make you feel important when you were in his company..............

You will be missed Nic.

   BLESSINGS, 

   From Judy, (your neighbour)!...when I phoned him to check if he was ok, if the paper was still on the lawn, and he asked who was speaking, and when I told him, he said, oh, my neighbour!