It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden passing of John Antoniszyn. There are no words to accurately capture all the wonderful things he was. Without a doubt, the best brother anyone could ask for. A loving uncle and godfather. A devoted son. A loyal friend. Universally kind. A dry sense of humour, with a quip when you least expected it. Brilliantly smart. An encyclopaedia of world history and random facts. A lover of numbers. A scientist. A whiz at crosswords. And now, sadly, a missing piece of our family.
John was born on January 2, 1948, in southwest Poland where he spent his early years. In 1958, at the age of 10, he emigrated to Canada with his family.
They settled in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where John attended St. Ann’s Roman Catholic School, Westgate Highschool and Lakehead University. Always an excellent student, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in chemistry as well as studying mathematics, computer science and statistics. He later enrolled at the University of Winnipeg to continue expanding his breadth of knowledge.
John’s first professional job was at the Canadian Grain Commission lab in Thunder Bay. Career promotions soon took him to the head office in Winnipeg where he ran the protein testing lab for many years. His responsibilities included traveling abroad to ensure the machines used to test protein in exported grain samples were accurately calibrated. This was a duty he took very seriously as the protein tests he was responsible for assigned quality grades to grain and determined export prices.
He co-authored a book titled, "Near Infrared Technology: Getting the best out of light,” with his colleagues. Its goal was to help other analysts understand the benefits of near-infrared spectroscopy to safely deliver precise results – a process he helped pioneer during his 35 years at the Grain Commission. In 2002, he received The Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal, which was awarded to Canadians who made outstanding and exemplary contributions to their communities or to Canada as a whole.
He was a long-standing member of St. Elizabeth’s Church, the Canadian Legion, and the Booksheviks Book Club in Thunder Bay.
John was predeceased by his parents Julia Antoniszyn (née Czarnecka) and Emil Antoniszyn. He will be deeply missed by his brother Joe Antoniszyn (Judy), niece and nephew Lisa and Paul Antoniszyn, his sister Alina Kelly (John) and nieces Sarah and Rachel Kelly.
The family would like to thank the wonderful team at Hennick-Bridgepoint Hospital in Toronto, who were helping John rehabilitate after hip replacement surgery. You helped him grow stronger and kept his spirit up. A heartfelt thank you to the ER team at St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto, where John received outstanding, compassionate care in his final hours. You all do such amazing work and will be remembered in our hearts forever.
A funeral mass and Celebration of Life will be held at St. Elizabeth's Church, 766 Sprague St., Thunder Bay, on Friday, May 16, 2025, starting at 11 am. A private interment will be held at Riverview Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to consider a donation to the Canadian Cancer Society, Parkinson’s Foundation, or a charity of your choice.
