Lloyd Ralph Kostiuck
We were all surprised when Lloyd took his last breath at Whistle Bend Place, Whitehorse while holding Evelyn’s hand on January 18, 2026 – her birthday. He was likely surprised too. Lloyd believed he could do anything he set his mind to, including living forever.
Born on January 5, 1925, near Lidgett, Saskatchewan to Lena Galen and Victor Kostiuck, Lloyd grew up on the prairies during a time when grit, ingenuity, and self-reliance weren’t ideals – they were necessities. His early life was shaped by land, weather, horses, and hard work, and by a family willing to move forward even when the path was uncertain.
As a child, Lloyd travelled with his family by wagon train from Saskatchewan to northern British Columbia – a journey that included a caboose mounted on a truck chassis, a wood stove for cooking, loose horses herded alongside wagons, and river crossings where horses swam while wagons crossed by bridge or ferry. It was a beginning that foreshadowed the life he would live: practical, resilient, and undeterred by difficulty.
Fort St. John became home during Lloyd’s youth, where he learned early how to work, fix, build, and contribute. Whether farming, cutting firewood, shoeing horses, or running equipment, Lloyd developed a reputation for competence and determination. He held himself to high standards and often expected the same from others, guided by a belief in people’s capacity to rise to the work before them.
In 1949, Lloyd married Evelyn Curiston, beginning a partnership that would anchor his life. Their story, marked by devotion, teamwork, and shared adventure, was one of steadiness rather than spectacle. Together, they raised their family while navigating remote camps, long workdays, and the rhythms of northern life. Lloyd often said he was raised with a simple principle: pay for it, or don’t buy it – a value that guided not just his finances, but his sense of responsibility and integrity.
In 1952, Lloyd and Evelyn arrived in Watson Lake, Yukon, a place that would become their home for more than seven decades. As a blacksmith, welder, mechanic, and later as a key figure with the Yukon Electrical Company, Lloyd played a foundational role in building and maintaining the infrastructure that allowed Watson Lake to grow. Over a 27-year career with Yukon Electric, including many years in leadership, he helped keep the lights on (literally and figuratively) through innovation, persistence, and hands-on problem-solving. He retired on July 2, 1987, but never truly stopped building or fixing.
Lloyd was known for his ability to repair and create what others could not. Engines, power systems, machinery, structures – if it was broken, Lloyd could likely make it work again. That capacity extended beyond tools and trades; he quietly helped build community as well. He was very involved in the early Watson Lake Community Club, curling, square dancing and church life at St. Anne’s Catholic Church, which remained a defining and grounding presence throughout his life.
One enduring symbol of Lloyd’s quiet contribution stands at the entrance to the original cemetery at Lucky Lake: a metal gate he fabricated and installed in 1956. If you look closely on the inside of the top pipe, you’ll find his name and the year welded there – never meant for attention, but still standing.
Lloyd found deep joy and peace in the outdoors, particularly through fishing, introduced to him by his close friend Rudy Couture. He spent more than fifty years on Frances Lake and River including many moose hunts with his friend Reiner Rembe. The North suited him because he suited it: steady, capable, and unafraid of its demands. That same steadiness shaped how he lived, worked and raised his family.
Lloyd is survived by his beloved wife, Evelyn; his children Patrick, Karen (Tom), and Clifford (Debra); his seven grandchildren Nigel (Suzan), Shannon, Nicole (Farzin), Chelsea (Mario), Melissa, Lindsay (Travis), and Galen; and his eight great-grandchildren Rayne, Alyra, Eryx, Darius, Eduardo, Fiona, Nicholas, and William – along with a wide circle of extended family, friends, and community members shaped by his presence, standards, and stories.
May we remember him by showing up, doing the work before us, and caring well for the people and places that have been entrusted to us.
A service to celebrate Lloyd’s life will be held at a later date and announced when arrangements are finalized. For those who wish to be informed, please email lloydhasgonefishing@gmail.com. Cards can be sent to Evelyn Kostiuck c/o Whistle Bend Place, 90 Olive May Way, Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 0R4.
