Vivian Rose Biro

In Loving Memory of Vivian Rose Biro (formerly Chymko)

Vivian Biro, a beloved wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, or as she preferred to call herself, a queen bee, passed away quietly after a long battle with aphasia and dementia on July 18, 2025, at the age of 80. Born in Nokomis, Saskatchewan (to Joe and Alma Chymko) on Friday the 13th in July of 1945, she always considered herself lucky, almost as if her birthdate gave her special immunity from bad luck. She sometimes joked that her famous lucky pinkies (her tiny crooked baby fingers, famous for the tiny sized rings that adorned them) were to blame for her good fortune, her positive outlook, and her interesting life. She was a one of a kind in her personal style and her flamboyant personality.

In high school she met the love of her life Joseph (Joe) Biro; he was her date to the high school prom. Although she entered nursing after high school, she decided this line of work was not the path for her, as she found the work difficult and draining on an emotional level.

Joe and Vivian eventually married in 1964 and left Saskatchewan to try their luck in Calgary. They left with all of their belongings in the back of a 1963 Chevy, as they were fond of saying. Joe and Vivian were best friends, spending all their time together. Married for 61 years, their life became an inseparable love story for the ages. They were a team, and were often seen out walking, grocery shopping, playing tennis; they were never apart. Some joked that they might be joined at the hip.

Vivian loved her family, and doted over her grandchildren. She loved to cook and host big family dinners at her home, often working for days on multiple dishes, including cabbage rolls, perogies, and at least 3 desserts. Her love of cooking was evident in all her family dinners, some would say feeding others was her love language. Her Christmas baking included cookies, brownies, and squares that were legendary, especially her mint Nanaimo bars.

Joe worked many different jobs across Canada, but eventually he and Vivian discovered the beauty of the Rocky Mountains, and settled in Lake Louise, working at the Mountaineer Motel. They later moved to Banff. Joe’s hobby of rock collecting eventually overran the house, there were so many rocks that Vivian suggested they open a rock shop to sell a few of his crystals and stones to make room in the house. A business was born in 1976, Rocks and Gems Canada, and husband and wife worked it together for decades, mostly in the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. They were fixtures at the Chateau Lake Louise every summer, with their small store in the hotel lobby. Vivian loved to model the jewellery, along with a few sharp outfits, and they enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. The stores eventually expanded to 6 locations in Banff, Whistler, and Vancouver. The little rock shop they started is still run by third generation family, a source of pride for both Joe and Vivian.

They worked hard in the business, but they also found time to travel the world. By the time they retired and stopped travelling, they had visited 75 countries right before Vivian received her diagnosis. Eventually they moved to Canmore to receive help with Vivian’s medical care.

Vivian is survived by her loving husband Joseph, their two children Jeffrey (spouse Brenna Biro), and Leah (spouse Gary Carrington). She will be missed by five grandchildren, Caedin Zayezierski, (spouse Trevor Zayezierski), Sianna Biro, Bronwyn Biro, Dakota Hines, and Sommer Hines. She has one great grandchild named Madelynn. She is survived by her sisters Judy (Marvin Cole) and Susan, and predeceased by sisters Myrna (Al LeClair), and Marlene (Al Kelemen). She will be missed by numerous nieces and nephews. Vivian’s memory will live on through the family and through all of those that knew her.

The family would like to thank the amazing staff at Golden Eagle and Origins for their care of Vivian through the years. There will be no service. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you hug a loved one, as Vivian would have liked that.