10/08/2026
He survived the Germans. He survived the communists. He survived war, exile, poverty, and a lifetime of hard work. He was still building sturdy sauna benches only months ago. But cancer got him.
Last night we said goodbye to my grandpa, Olexiy Garan.
He held my hand, opened his eyes ever so slightly, smiled at me, and took his last breath after fighting cancer and deteriorating heavily over the last five weeks.
This Saturday, I will be supporting the Aspendale Otters Daffodil Day Cold Dip Challenge and would love your direct donation to their cause: https://www.daffodilday.com.au//fundraisers/aspendaleotters/daffodil-day-dip-2026
My grandpa was one of the most selfless people I have ever known, alongside my grandmother, Tamara Garan, who passed some years ago.
He was born in 1937 in northern Crimea. He survived the Germans. He survived the communists. He survived war, displacement, poverty, and the brutal post-war years that would have broken a lot of people.
But instead of making him bitter, that life built something rare in him: strength, discipline, resilience, and a deep sense of responsibility.
He worked all his life.
He believed in honest work, in conscience, in education, and above all, in being useful. He used to say:
“Do not harm anyone. Work conscientiously. Be useful to your family, your relatives, and society.”
And that is exactly how he lived.
He and my grandmother built their life through sacrifice. They started again more than once, made hard decisions for the sake of their children and family, and kept going no matter what life threw at them.
He believed in setting a goal and working towards it.
He believed in acting according to your conscience.
He believed that real character is shown in what you do, not what you say.
As far back as I can remember, he is at the centre of so many of my earliest memories.
He was always doing something for the family, working in the garden, cooking, cleaning, fixing things, building things, helping someone, making life easier for everyone around him.
That was just who he was.
If something needed to be done, he did it.
He taught hard work by example. Even in his later years, it felt like he could outwork anyone. And his strength was never only physical. It was in the way he carried responsibility, in the way he gave himself to others, and in the way he lived a life of service to his family.
That is why it has been so hard to watch cancer take that away from him.
It is heartbreaking to see someone so capable, so strong, and so giving deteriorate like that.
He would have lived to 100. I truly believe that.
I want to remember his strength.
His selflessness.
His discipline.
His resilience.
And the way he gave his life to his family.
A man who survived so much, worked so hard, and never stopped trying to be useful to the people around him.
And in his memory, like I did last year, I’ll be joining the Daffodil Day crew and supporting the fight against cancer.
This year, I’ll also be supporting the Aspendale Otters Cold Dip Challenge, raising funds for cancer research. Throughout August they’re dipping every day, and on Saturday 15th August at 8am at Aspendale Beach, they’re inviting everyone to help create the world’s largest spiral in the bay.
You can join in the water, cheer from the shore, donate, or simply help spread the word. Every bit of support counts.
If you’d like to be part of something good in honour of people we love and miss, I’d love for you to join or support the cause.
Rest in peace, Dedushka.
Thank you for everything.
Donation link here: https://www.daffodilday.com.au//fundraisers/aspendaleotters/daffodil-day-dip-2026
