Dr. Cornel Filipchuk (1937-2025)

Dr. Cornel Filipchuk

It is with heavy hearts that we join the community in mourning the passing of Dr. Cornel Filipchuk and offer our sincere condolences to his family, colleagues, and friends. He will be fondly remembered for the many lives he has touched through his dedication to various organizations and the University of Alberta.

Cornel was born in Gifford, Alberta and spent his formative years on the homestead established by his father Nikolai upon arrival in Canada in 1912. Cornel grew up on the farm and became the first in the family to attend university when he moved to Edmonton in 1955. He obtained a Bachelor of Science in dentistry in 1960 and established his practice while teaching within the Faculty of Dentistry. Cornel practiced general dentistry until 1969 when he moved to Seattle with his wife Anne and their four young children. There, he attended the University of Washington for 24 months to obtain his Master of Science in Dentistry, specializing in prosthodontics.

Cornel returned with his young family to Edmonton in 1971 and resumed teaching at the U of A. He began his private practice as a Prosthodontist in the Professional Building in 1973. He thoroughly enjoyed his work as a dentist and was proud to have provided unparalleled treatment to thousands of patients until he retired in 2017.

Cornel was deeply dedicated to his family and enjoyed supporting them in various activities. In particular, he volunteered and served as President of the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company (1981-84) while his children were involved. He will be fondly remembered for spearheading several productions and tours.

In his retirement, with his wife Anne, Cornell turned his attention to preserving and sharing their Ukrainian heritage and honouring the sacrifices made by the early pioneers who settled in Canada. Cornel's vision to restore the family "Hachyna", the one-room house where he grew up, is one of the many ways he helped preserve Ukrainian heritage on the Canadian prairies. To further honour their parents, he and Anne established the Cornel and Anne Filipchuk Ukrainian Folklore Archives Endowment to support archival activities at the Kule Folklore Centre - University of Alberta. Cornel's philanthropic nature also led to donations supporting the Filipchuk Family Installation at the St. Paul Museum and others.

We are incredibly fortunate to have known Cornel. Fond memories of his visionary support and encouragement will be a guiding light into the future. His legacy lives on in the hearts of the many lives he touched.

May his memory be eternal – Вічная пам’ять!

In honour of Dr. Cornel Filipchuk, the University of Alberta will lower its flag to half-mast on January 20, 2025.

Read an article from the Edmonton Journal Obituary here.