Sometimes the beauty of an extraordinary human heart is just too great to describe in words...
We are heartbroken and devastated to have to share the peaceful passing of Alycia Louise Novak, at the TBRHSC on July 24th, 2024, with family by her side. She was 37 years old. Alycia’s sweetness was a large part of her essence; kind and gentle towards others, generous and loving.
She was a gifted artistic woman of many talents: acting, writing, and directing. She loved the beauty of our Lake Superior and the majestic Sleeping Giant and all of nature nourished her soul. She was a wonderful and loving daughter, sister and friend.
When it came to the people she loved and her passions she became a protector, a defender, a warrior. And of course, most certainly she loved a very good cup of coffee and would travel great lengths in the rain or sleet to get that one cup in her hands. The underlying motivation in her passions was to bring about change, spawn in all of us the desire to be more accepting and loving of one another, to nurture our understanding that everyone needs to be valued and that we all belong, and to help us be better people in a more compassionate, thoughtful society.
She loved Ghandi’s principle that as a person changes their own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards them. How she did that was not necessarily in some prominent fashion with big banners that stated so. She also did it with everyday simple encounters with others, just by being herself.
Alycia was born and raised in Thunder Bay to parents Kathy and Ray, her beautiful radiance held them captive forever. As a young toddler it didn’t take long to see that Alycia was not shy, with her delightful nature and complete enthusiasm she was going to need some kind of stage or platform eventually. Perhaps Alycia got some of her fierceness from her very protective dad Ray.
Once when the family was out for a sleigh ride and Alycia accidentally locked herself in the bathroom, it only took seconds for Ray to hear her cry and transition into Mr. Hulk and put his body through the door to bust it down. No screwdrivers or tools required.
Alycia was only five when Ray passed away and she later tattooed the word ‘Daddy’ on her foot so that he could forever be present with her on a stage. As she progressed to the early years of high school, she eagerly joined the football team. She not only was the lone female on the team but played on the offensive line.
Inevitably she startled many of the opposing team’s players when they noticed her finely done manicured nails and realized that under that uniform was a ‘girl’. After high school Alycia decided to try her hand at working for the MNR Fire Management, as a shipper/receiver at the Provincial Logistics Centre. That position led to adventures around Northwestern Ontario including setting up base camps and being able to fly in helicopters.
She would be responsible for trailers full of equipment and supplies and she took her job seriously, no one was going to take a pump or any equipment without it being accounted for. All the while though the artist in her was yearning to blossom. Alycia made the leap to enroll in the Musical Theatre Performance Arts Program at Sheridan College.
She further continued her studies in Film & Stage under Lynne Cormack, and Jane Moffat and persisted in experiencing the ups and downs of auditions as young artists do. Alycia had met David Hein & Irene Sankoff during her studies at Sheridan while they were developing their musical “Come From Away”. They eventually asked Alycia to be a care giver to their daughter Molly and Alycia responded by inherently loving and caring for Molly as if she was her own.
She travelled with them to various cities including Washington D.C., Seattle, Washington and Gander, Newfoundland up until the musical reached it’s opening on Broadway in New York.
Alycia went back to Toronto after New York and continued her artistic endeavors. She was full of excitement when she became a full member of ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists) and then proceeded to work with an agent. She had television appearances in Handmaid’s Tale, Mayor of Kingstown and Believers.
She wrote, directed, starred and produced Sunday Dinner and Jane Doe: Diary#1. In between the writing, working on films and auditioning she enjoyed her yoga classes so much so that she attained her certificate for yoga instruction. But nothing to this point could surpass the complete happiness Alycia experienced when her children’s musical ‘Alex the Artist’ was presented in full production last summer at the Thunder Bay Art Gallery.
The work started off being presented at a Toronto Fringe Festival and over time evolved to the full musical production under the direction of Donna Marie Baratta. Alycia had much to be proud of with this work and she will be remembered for it. Alycia is survived by her loving mother Kathy and cherished brother Ian; Uncle Peter and Aunt Minna; Aunts Michelle Toderick, Joanne Hogard(Ray); Great Aunts Linda Soldera, JoAnne Wenzell, Fran Dielschneider; Great Uncle Donald Lalonde; cousins Breanne, Zach, Katelin, Justin, Myles as well as special cousin Cindy; her precious Godson Clark Lockyer; treasured friend Vince Genuardi and many numerous family and friends that she held dear and close to her heart.
She was predeceased by her father Ray in 1993, grandparents Larry and Rhodella Zweep and Peter and Roma Novak, and her Uncle Rick (2023). A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, August 21st, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
at Magnus Theatre, 10 Algoma Street S. All are welcome to join us in honouring and remembering Alycia. A private interment will be held at a later date in Mountainview Cemetery.
For those so wishing charitable donations can be made to Magnus Theatre-‘Youth Programs’, The Thunder Bay & District Humane Society or the Thunder Bay Art Gallery. Online condolences may be expressed at www.sargentandson.
com..
