Robert Patrick Kearns
August 31, 2011
1925 – 2011
Passed away peacefully on August 26th 2011 at the Guildford Senior’s Village at the age of 86. He is predeceased by his wife Molly in May, 1999. He is survived by his 3 children, Son Robert (Treena), daughters Dana (Dale), and Debbie; grandchildren Sadie, Kaitlin, Tyler, Jason; Sister Vera, sister-in-law Leila and many family members and friends in England, Australia, and Canada. Funeral Mass to be held at 11:00am on Wednesday, September 7th at St. Luke’s Catholic Church – 20285 Dewdney Trunk Road, Maple Ridge. In lieu of flowers, a donation to a charity of your choice would be appreciated.
May you Rest in Peace Dad.
John David Allan
August 26, 2011
Beloved son, uncle & friend. Passed away Friday, 19 Aug 2011, at 65 years of life. Will be greatly missed by his mother, Linola, niece, Shae, great-nephew, Kyle, nephew-in-law, Davey, & numerous friends. He was loving, kind, gentle, smart, selfless, funny, loyal & stubborn. Rest peacefully now, sweet soul, forever in our hearts. Expressions of sympathy can be made at www.gardenhill.ca.
Edward “Ray” Dempsey
August 22, 2011
Born in Dublin, Ireland, January 23, 1930, passed away on August 20th, 2011. Predeceased by first wife Maureen and brothers Sean and Des. Ray is survived by wife Jane, Children Angela (Rod), Paul, David (Debbie), step-children Debbie (Dan), Mike (Lisa) and Gail. His brothers Bill, Joe (Marie), Tony (Eilleen), Jerry, Tim and Thomas and his many grand and great-grandchildren. Sister-in-laws Monica (Jim), Esther (Joey). Remember Ray enjoying his walks along the Pitt River Dyke with wife Jane, singing to good Irish classics or watching an old western movie with a nice cold beer. Special thanks to Father Amador Abundo, for administering the last rights of the Catholic Church, to Jim Wilson for his comforting words and prayers, and to the volunteers and staff at McKenney Creek Hospice. Upon Rays request there will be no service.
Mabel Nancy Swetlikoff
August 19, 2011
passed away August 19, 2011 in Maple Ridge Seniors Village at 87 years. She was predeceased by her husbands Mike Swetlikoff and Leland Leslie. She is survived by her children; Stan, Mike(Bonnie), Peter, and Olive. Also numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and 1 great great grandson. Memorial Service will be held at a later date.
Elsie Dorathea Scott
August 16, 2011
With family at her side, Thea Scott -- a truly gracious lady -- went to be with her Lord on Saturday, August 13, 2011. Thea was born in Kowloon Hong Kong and was quite the world traveler in her young life. She was in the Philippines during WW 2 and it was there that she met Dave Scott. They were married in 1945 and their three oldest children were born in the Philippines. After coming to Canada, Thea became a much-loved addition to the Scott family. Dave and Thea had two more children and settled down to a Canadian life. Raising five children required a firm hand but also a sense of humour and Thea often surprised those around her with her dry wit and incredible insight.
Thea was a caring member of the Baptist church – a Sunday School teacher, she also served on many of the church committees. For many years she owned a Christian book store in Maple Ridge. Thea remained an avid traveler throughout her life and visited countries all over the world -- England, Israel and China just to name a few. Later on, she became an active resident at Fraserview. In the last few years, Thea lived at Royal Crescent Garden -- made some wonderful friends and always spoke very highly of the staff. Her time there was greatly enhanced by the loving care of her family, in particular the dedication of her daughter Catherine.
Thea leaves an incredible legacy and will be much missed by a large family including:
Her five children Catherine, David (Ruth), Susan, Mary (Jerry) and Ed (Debbi)
Grandchildren: Ian, David and Karen; Victor, Casey and Reba, Laura, Leilani and Shawn; Renee and Jennifer; Amanda, Hilary and Keelie
Great Grandchildren: Kiriva; Shauna and Ryan; Chelsea; Joey and Kiera; Jasper, Ian and Charlotte; Isabelle and Chloe
Great great grandchildren: Ben and Alyssa.
…and many many nieces and nephews!
She wrote this message for family and friends: “I shall be waiting for you”
and added “As for me it is good to be near God” from Psalm 73.
Thea joins all those who have gone before her and we hope they are celebrating a wonderful reunion.
Thanks for everything Mother – go with our love -- you will be missed.
Celebration of Life Service: 1pm Friday August 19, 2011 at the Baptist Church -- 22155 Lougheed Hwy Maple Ridge
In lieu of flowers, donations to McKenney Creek Hospice would be appreciated.
Vivian Isabel Eileen Evans
August 10, 2011
May 31, 1912 -- August 6, 2011 Passed away peacefully on Saturday, August 6th, 2011 in her 99th year. Loving mother of John, mother-in-law of Susan, grandmother of Sarah, Christopher, David and Katherine and great grandmother of Hunter William David. Predeceased by her loving husband Frederick deCourcey Evans of Maple Ridge and her parents William Williams and Vivian Williams (nee Moore). Fondly remembered by her many nieces and nephews, family and friends. Eileen graduated from Duke of Connaught High School in New Westminster prior to entering Nursing School at VGH where she graduated in 1932. The following year, Eileen enrolled at UBC where she completed a Degree in Applied Science (Nursing) graduating from the “new” UBC Point Grey campus. Eileen worked as a Public Health nurse in Richmond prior to enrolling in the Cdn. Army in 1942. Following her joining the services, she worked at the Military Hospital in Victoria. Eileen sailed overseas in January 1944 and was stationed at Basingstoke, U.K. where she nursed burn victims of WW2 being returned from the “front”. Eileen married another Canadian, her loving husband Fred, in 1945 in Basingstoke. In 1945, Eileen returned to Canada with Fred returning in 1946. Eileen and Fred’s only son John deCourcey was born in July, 1949. Eileen loving supported her husband Fred’s career with the Imperial Bank of Canada where they spent years in each of Calgary, Lethbridge, Edmonton, Fort William (now the Lakehead) and ultimately in Toronto. In 1965, following Fred’s early retirement from the bank, the family relocated to Haney, B.C., where they acquired and operated Haney Tire. Following their retirement, Fred and Eileen enjoyed their years in Haney Pioneer Village always looking forward to their winters in Mexico. Eileen was a joyful person who enjoyed meeting people wherever life took her. She always enjoyed her church service no matter the city in which she lived. She especially enjoyed the Christmas Bazaar and creating her many handicrafts. Having lived only months shy of a century, Eileen greeted each day with a smile and the determination to accomplish yet another task in her day. Eileen’s family would like to thank both Dr. Chapman, who always “looked in” on Mom and the many “angels” at Bailey House in Maple Ridge who took such great care of Mom in her last remaining years.
Funeral Services for Eileen were held on Tuesday, August 9th at St. John the Divine Anglican Church with cremation to follow. Garden Hill Funeral Home took care of all arrangements. Donations to St. John the Divine Anglican Church in Maple Ridge would be appreciated by the family.
Robert Walter Rude
August 10, 2011
May 27, 1946 August 7, 2011
Bob passed away after a long battle with cancer which he fought to the end, aided in part by his passion for the Canuck’s quest for the Stanley Cup. His wife Sharron and his two sisters were at his side. He leaves behind his father Walter Rude, sisters Sandra (Al) of Nanaimo and Wendy (Doug) of Coquitlam, son Jason (wife) and granddaughter, step-daughter Joy of Manitoba, and a large extended family. Bob was an avid sports fan and enjoyed both playing and coaching baseball as well as organizing ball tournaments. During his younger life he toured Australia and Europe. He worked at a wide variety of jobs throughout his career most recently with Sealand and Fast Freight. Special thanks to Dr. McPherson and all the palliative home care workers for their invaluable care and also the staff of McKenney Creek Hospice for their support in his final hours. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the BC Cancer Foundation in Bob’s memory.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Garden Hill Funeral Home, 11765 224 Street, Maple Ridge on Saturday August 13th at 2:00 pm.
Vicky Montgomery
August 5, 2011
Oct 5th 1958 -- Aug 4th, 2011
It is with sad regret (but blessed memory) that we announce the all-too-quick passing of Vicenta Santos Montgomery (nee, Tumaneng). Vicky passed after a brief, yet brave battle with cancer. Vicky is survived by her best friend and husband, Jim; daughter, Alicia; step daughters, Karen (John) and Coleen (Ron); Mother Irenea; brothers: Fernando (Marleny), Cesar (Nilda), and Eddie and sister: Lorna (Dale), Eliza and Prestilla; and grandchildren: Karissa, Aaron and Carly. Vicky also leaves behind many surviving special nieces, nephews and good friends. Vicky was pre-deceased by her father, Urbano and brother, Jun. Vicky was best known for her generosity, selflessness, smile, soft laughter, hospitality, strong work ethic, and caring and compassionate nature.
Rest In Peace! We will miss you – Princess from Isabella! Love you today. Love you tonight. Love you tomorrow. Will love you forever!!
Funeral Mass will be held Tuesday August 9th at 10AM at St. Luke’s Catholic Church 20285 Dewdney Trk Road Maple Ridge. Interment to follow in Maple Ridge Cemetery.
Rajendra Sharma
August 5, 2011
Rajendra (Raj) Sharma, born in Ba, Fiji Islands, on December 10, 1935, passed away peacefully in Maple Ridge on August 4, 2011, surrounded by family. Raj was the fifth child of Pundit Prabhu Dayal and Ganga Jali. He married Manorma, his “angel”, on December 16, 1961 and emigrated to Canada on November 22, 1963. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from UBC and his Masters in Education and Counseling Psychology from UVIC, and was a well-liked teacher and counselor who worked in McBride, Powell River and Kelowna. He was actively involved in various volunteer organizations. Raj was well known for his sense of humour, social fearlessness, wisdom, integrity, and kind and compassionate nature. Raj is survived by his loving wife Manorma, his daughters Arti and Abha, his sons-in-law Shailendra and Christopher, his granddaughters Ashleen and Shaileen. The funeral service will be held on Monday, August 8, 2011, at 10 AM at Garden Hill Funeral home 11765-224th St Maple Ridge with cremation to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to McKinney Creek Hospice in memory of our beloved Raj.
Stages of Grieving
August 3, 2011
Marie’s garden was a breath-taking oasis of vibrant colour, cooling shade, trickling water falls and fragrant scents wafting through the flowers, shrubs and plants. Marie had begun her garden after the loss of her husband and grandson in a tragic car accident. Ion the beginning, she attacked the garden in a frantic outpouring of grief but soon found that she was pacing the work, allowing each plant to take root, be nurtured and allowed to flourish. Months later, the garden was her chosen place to find peace and tranquility. Grief could have overwhelmed Marie, causing her pain and untold suffering. Instead, she chose to engage in creating and maintaining her garden. Its creation did not erase her grief, but it did help her cope with the pain of her grief in a healthy and forward -moving process.
Grief is an emotion and a normal human reaction to death or loss. It is the feeling we experience when someone or something we love is no longer a part of our lives. As we grieve, we try to make sense of the death or loss. Each person deals with grief in a different way but there are similarities in the ways that we process our grief. These similarities are known as the stages of grief.
There are seven stages in the grieving process. They are:
- Shock and denial: you react to the news of the loss with disbelief. Denial is a way of avoiding the pain of the truth and protecting you from the pain of reality.
- Pain and guilt: you experience the deepest of physical and emotional pain. You may feel guilt over things that you did or did not share with your loved one. It is important to acknowledge this pain and not try to avoid it or escape from it.
- Anger and bargaining: you may lash out and try to place the blame for your loved one’s death on someone or something else. You may ask “why me?” You may try to bargain with spiritual powers, making promises “….if only you will bring him back”. You will need to vent your feelings at this stage and if a good friend offers to listen, take advantage of the offer.
- Depression, withdrawal, loneliness, reflection: this stage may be one in which you feel very isolated. Time has passed and while the lives of others seem to resume a normal pace, you may feel as if you are living in a somewhat altered stage – going through the day-to-day routine of your former life, but inwardly, you are exploring the depth of your loss, coping with the changes in your life and re-living memories of the past. This is a stage where you may feel depressed, empty and left behind. Making decisions is difficult and moving forward may seem to be an impossible task. This is a time for taking baby steps rather than giant leaps. Be patient with yourself.
- Reconstruction: during this stage, you will find that you are becoming more efficient and functional. Problem-solving and decision-making will become easier. You will discover solutions to problems that may have confused you just weeks earlier. You will begin to work on social, emotional and financial matters. Life will seem to have more windows than walls.
- Acceptance: during this state, you will come to accept and deal with the reality of your situation. Acceptance will not bring instant and complete happiness. You have changed and will be changed forever by your loss. You have been emotionally scarred and but you are feeling more confident in your abilities to move forward and re-enter a life without your loved one.
- Hope: at this stage, you will begin to look forward to tomorrow and the weeks that follow. You will begin to plan for your future. You will always carry the memories of your loved one with you, but your ability to move forward is evident and you will anticipate good times to come. Be open to new and positive experiences.
The grieving process is not a cycle through which you move through one stage directly into the next and so on to the end. If you are grieving, you may move back and forth between stages, stay at one stage for months or experience two or three stages at the same time. There is no right or wrong way to grieve – you will grieve in your own way and in your own time. Remember that your feelings are normal. You may find that it helps to express your grief through writing, painting, reading, mediation, yoga, volunteering, joining a bereavement group or engaging in a therapeutic activity such as gardening, painting, woodwork or physical activity. If you cannot cope, do not hesitate to seek help. Begin with your family doctor who will assess your needs and make recommendations for your benefit.
The professionals of the Garden Hill Cremation and Funeral Services have extensive training in the grieving process. We are available to support you at any time in a compassionate and professional atmosphere where you can express your feelings openly. Contact us for more information.
