(July 13, 1935- September 17, 2019)
Peacefully with family by her side, our Wife, Mom, Grandma and Great-Grandma passed away on September 17th, 2019. Forever remembered by her Husband and Love of her life, Richard of 64 years; Children, Rick (Melanie), Cindy (John), Mary (Garry); Grandchildren, Matthew, Mark (Nicole), Courtney, Alyssa (Jonny), Carlee (Cody), Dominique (Tanner); and Great-Grandchildren, Julie, Logan, Leo, Madison, Luke and Logan.
Mom grew up in East Kildonan. She was the youngest of seven and enjoyed being with her brothers and sisters. She shared stories about going to see her brother play hockey for the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, rides on the streetcars, dances at Grand Beach, getting teased by her nephew Brian (who was only a year or two younger than her), time spent with her nieces and nephews and time with her Mom. She valued her cultural backgrounds and told anyone who asked that her mom was Scottish and her dad Irish. Her love of potatoes in any form and shortbread were known to all. She loved to dance!
When Mom was in her late teens, she met Dad. She loved her quarterback boyfriend and wore his letter sweater with pride. As Dad was getting ready to leave for basic training, he proposed to Mom. She took a bus from Fort Frances, Ontario to Rolo, Missouri all by herself with a permission note from her Mom in her pocket, Dad was able to get a four-hour pass to get married that day in 1955. Both were excited to start their lives together in Colorado where Dad was stationed at Fort Leonard. After Dad’s discharge with the army, they settled in Bemidji, Minnesota and she was happy to be back closer to family. Mom enjoyed getting their apartment ready and spending her days with Rick. After Dad’s graduation, they moved to Browerville, Minnesota where Cindy was born. Mom was thrilled when Dad agreed to move to Winnipeg to allow her to be closer to her family. Back in East Kildonan, Mom was happy to complete her family with the birth of Mary.
While the family was growing, Mom enjoyed spending time with her kids and extended family. She enjoyed sewing, oil painting, crafts, and moving furniture. Always up for adventure, she could be found mod podging anything she could find and painting furniture. She always had a project waiting for Dad and was known to start some on her own. She enjoyed meeting Dad for lunch at the Paddlewheel and stopping by to say hi to her sisters on the way home. She was an avid reader and later spent time enjoying her IPAD and catching up with the grandkids via messaging and facebook. She loved going to the movies and her French fries till the end. No outing was complete without an order somewhere.
As we grew older and they had more time, Mom and Dad enjoyed trips to Boston, Ottawa, Hawaii, and lots of time in Minnesota. They enjoyed going to the movies, cross country skiing, beach days and wandering through the province for day trips. She would have Dad take her to her favorite shopping spots followed by time in a restaurant that had the best window to feel the sun. Drives to Lockport for fries at Sonia’s were her favorite.
Her grandkids were her pride and joy. Spending time with them was her favorite and she never grew old of their company. She wore her pride for them in all she did. She would spend hours finding the perfect gift for them and putting in the extra time to put the finishing touches on items so it would be perfect for them. Her door was always open to a chat with an accompanied smile. She would make every effort to attend their events, graduations and other celebrations. If they needed company, she was their wing woman. Mom and Dad welcomed their great grandchildren with excitement and loved getting new pictures of them on their IPADs. Visits were a gift, and they treasured the time spent with them and talked about them after. Great Grandma always had some toys in the ottoman waiting for them and a hug.
Dad and Mom continued their love story for 64 years. They always walked holding hands and said I love you daily. We could often find them at Burger King holding court at the table with the most sun. They just enjoyed being together.
We can no longer see you with our eyes, but we will feel you in our hearts forever.
Love you to Pieces!