Louise Ann Barbonoff

Louise Ann Barbonoff (Samiroden)

June 29, 1936 - March 6, 2026

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Louise Ann Barbonoff (Samiroden), affectionately known as Luba, on March 6, 2026. She was a devoted wife, Mom, Baba, Great-Baba, Aunt, friend and nurse.

Louise was born on June 29, 1936, in the village of Slavanka, Saskatchewan. She was raised on the family farm in the Haralowka district near Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan. Louise attended Haralowka School for grades 1-9 and completed her high school education at Blaine Lake High School.

Following graduation, Louise moved to Saskatoon in 1954 to begin her nursing education at the University of Saskatchewan. Many of the university buildings, including University Hospital, were newly constructed. Louise was among the first nursing students to live in residence at Ellis Hall. She graduated in 1957, proudly part of the university's first Nursing class.

Louise began her nursing career at University Hospital in Saskatoon, where she worked for a year before travelling to San Jose, California with three classmates to continue her nursing career. There she worked at San Jose General Hospital, serving as a charge nurse. Her time in California provided many stories and memories that her family always enjoyed hearing.

While in California, Louise became engaged to Jim Barbonoff. She returned to Saskatchewan, and on July 10, 1959, Louise and Jim were married. Together they began their life in Saskatoon, building a home and raising their family.

Louise had a long and rewarding nursing career. Over the years she worked in many areas of nursing, including serving as a head nurse in a nursing home, working in the Intensive Care Nursery at Royal University Hospital, and caring for patients in several wards across Saskatoon's hospitals. She concluded her professional career as a private duty nurse with the Nightingale Nursing Group, where much of her work involved palliative care. Louise often spoke about how meaningful this work was to her. Caring for babies in the nursery was another area of nursing she especially loved.

She took great pride in her profession and was known for her dedication, compassion, and willingness to work long hours, often being on call and working many night shifts to care for her patients.

Throughout her life Louise maintained strong friendships with her nursing classmates. She and her fellow graduates gathered regularly for nursing alumni reunions, including the 60th University of Saskatchewan Nursing Reunion, where the lasting bond between classmates was evident even after so many years.

Beyond her career, Louise's greatest joy was her family and her grandchildren were the love of her life. She was deeply involved in her children's activities and was a proud baton and dance mom, sewing costumes, driving to practices, and travelling to competitions while balancing her nursing career.

Louise loved gardening, flower arranging, crafting, sewing, knitting, crocheting, and spending time with family and friends. She also loved her time spent working at a greenhouse every spring.

Louise and Jim's greatest joy and their happiest place was the cabin at Martins Lake, where they spent years together building their vacation home and enjoying time every summer with their family and friends. She couldn't wait until May long weekend which meant opening the cabin and spending the next several months away from the city.

Louise was predeceased by her parents, Nick and Anne Samiroden; her husband, Jim; her sister, Shirley Onishenko; and her brother, Lawrence.

She will be lovingly remembered by her daughters, Charlene and Shannon (Darryl Lamoureux); and her grandchildren, Breeanna (Josef Lywak), Tyler, Jasmine, and Mischa; great-granddaughter Nola; nieces, nephews, cousins, and many friends, as well as by the many people whose lives she touched through her kindness and care.

There are no words to express how much our Mom will be missed. She was the nucleus of the family, providing comfort, wisdom, laughter, and heart to all of us and everyone who knew her. Her kind and compassionate personality will forever shine down on us.

The family would like to thank the staff at Stensrud Lodge for their care, as well as all who visited her and brought joy into her life, especially during the last few years at the nursing home.

Family and friends are invited to the Celebration of Life at Saskatoon Funeral Home, 338 4 Ave N, Saskatoon, on Saturday April 4 at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Louise's honour to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB).