Blanche Beverly Olejnik
Obituary for Blanche Beverly Olejnik
September 15, 1954 – January 22, 2026
With heavy hearts we announce the passing of Blanche Beverly Olejnik (née Banerd) who died peacefully on June 21, 2026.
Blanche, the eldest child of Eva (Voelpel) and Fredrich Banerd, was born in Kipling, Saskatchewan on December 12, 1932. When her family sold their farm and moved to Vancouver she attended John Oliver Secondary School. Blanche graduated from the UBC Faculty of Arts and Science with a Bachelor of Home Economics in 1954. She became a Dietician after an internship at the Hamilton General Hospital in 1955 and moved to Montreal to work at the Royal Victoria Hospital where she made many lifelong friends with her coworkers and students while also teaching at Dawson College and the MacDonald Campus of McGill University.
During this time, she was an avid skier, tennis and bridge player and through these activities met and fell in love with Herbert Paul Olejnik who she married in 1965. As a working wife, mother and Auntie, at home Blanche could only be found in the garden or kitchen nourishing friends and family as if she were a professional chef and baker or working on a knitting project for someone special.
Blanche returned to school and earned her MBA from McGill University in 1981. She continued to work in Food Service and Nutrition Management at Kingston General and Royal Victoria Hospitals and managed the implementation of a Regional Dietetic Internship Programme until her retirement in 1997. Blanche was an avid supporter in her community with the Victorian Order of Nurses in Montreal, coordinating food prep for Meals on Wheels.
Blanche retired to Vancouver and volunteered at the Vancouver Public Library and as well - most proudly, spent 25 years as a volunteer at the UBC Botanical Garden’s Food Garden where she grew and harvested fresh, nutrient-dense produce which was distributed to student food banks on campus or shipped to the Salvation Army to help address food insecurity across the region.
Blanche is survived by her sister Dolores Banerd, daughter Christine Olejnik (Krysia), grandchildren Kasia and Jack Lindsay, Henry and Stanley Choi, nieces Karin and Tianne, nephews Bradley, Laurent, Owen, Nicholas and Ryan. She is predeceased by her parents, her brother Adair, sister Audrey as well as her beloved husband Herbie.
We would like to express our deepest appreciation to the Finnish Care Home staff for their comforting care of Blanche in her final years.
A celebration of life will be held in September 2026.
Memorial Donations
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the UBC Botanical Gardens.
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