Ivar Plavinskis

PLAVINSKIS, Ivar- born May 25, 1958, to parents Nikodems Plavinskis and Julija Plavinskis (Zvdris) Ivar was the youngest of three children Nellie Plavinskis, and Peter Plavinskis (Deceased). Ivar was a go getter and an amazing teacher (though he was not professionally trained). Ivar would always jump at the opportunity to pass on his wisdom, Ivar was after all the “Foremost authority in everything” his sister Nellie once had a shirt made that said exactly that. Ivar loved to teach his daughter Valentina all the wonders this world had to offer. When she was little Ivar would always enlist her little hands to turn a wrench in a tight spot on his latest project, because his big hand wouldn’t fit. Ivar was always willing to help out his neighbors with any type of work because this is what made him happiest. Ivar married his sweetheart Cathy (Broderick) in 1980 and they had their only child Valentina Plavinskis-Hurrell (Saxon) in 1981. Before the birth of Valentina Ivar was a bit of a wild child. Ivar was a music junkie and he worked security for Teenage Head, Supertramp, and the Guess Who just to mention a few. In his youth you could find Ivar tinkering with a car or dirt bike in the family home at Riseborough Ave. Ivar always enjoyed fast things. He may have been known to outrun the police a few times on his 750 Honda. However, once he became a family man his life changed, and he slowed down a little. Ivar decided at age 26 to return to school and attended George Brown College to obtain his Millwright ticket. Ivar loved to fix things and take a broken or failing machine and make it run like clockwork. His last project was in the summer of 2022 where he revived an antique milling machine pré-patent. It is unfortunate that his health began to fail just after that, and he wasn’t able to utilize this beautiful work of art.

Ivar was an amazing Grandfather to Taya-Lynn, Kaleb, and Freya.

He loved to spend time with them fishing, playing with play dough, playing in the shop, and at tea parties. His Grandchildren were the light of his life. He always had such a beautiful way with children. Ivar had a very long journey with his health. Starting in 1996 when he was diagnosed with Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma. This was a hard time for his family, but he never lost faith in his ability to recover. Ivar lived a very full life in between a laundry list of illness. Unfortunately, in the fall of 2021 the cancer came back, and he succumbed to it on October 15, 2022. Ivar passed peacefully at Andy’s House on his terms. As per his wishes, his ashes will be scattered, in a small private ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a bank account for donations to be distributed to the two biggest supports through Ivar’s final weeks: Closing the Gap – Simcoe-Muskoka Branch, and Andy’s House Hospice. All donations can be sent via etransfer to valinalberta@hotmail.com.

God speed Poppa Bear.

Personal condolences and memories may be shared through www.reynoldsfuneral.com.