SHEILA
CATHERINE WILLIAMS
(nee
McQUADE)
On Tuesday, March 25, 2014 Sheila
Catherine Williams, passed away peacefully at the Victoria Hospital at the age
of 87 years.
Sheila is survived by sons Wayne (Lorraine) and Glen (Sheila);
grandsons Jason, Derek, Kevin (mom Jackie), Shawn, Brett and Robin; great
grandchildren Sawyer and Corbin; and step grandchildren Dalsin and Bianca. She
was predeceased by her husband Frank in 1997.
Sheila was born July 12, 1926 to Fred
and Hilda McQuade, and grew up in East Kildonan. Her two trademarks were her
vibrant head of red hair and equally vibrant personality. A fun-loving,
positive person, her outgoing, caring personality touched many hearts in her
travels.
One of the first hearts Sheila touched
was her husband Frank. Once married, Frank and Sheila bought a home at 170
Linden Avenue, just a short walk from the home that Sheila had lived in with
her family at 149 Linden Avenue. After Frank passed away in 1997, Sheila –
after having lived in the home at 170 Linden Avenue for 53 years – moved into
an apartment at 1660 Henderson Highway, wanting to keep her ties with East
Kildonan intact.
Sheila’s whole world revolved around a
very small area of East Kildonan due mainly to the friendships she had
developed – long-term friendships that she treasured. She also made many
long-term friendships in the years she spent working at Birk’s Jewellers and
then as a teaching assistant at Norquay School. The circle of friends that she
made working at Norquay, led by the principal Mr. Pelletier, continued to meet
for lunch at Rae and Jerry’s as recently as a couple of years ago. At 1660
Henderson, it was the norm for Sheila and her friends to leave their doors open
so they could walk into each other’s apartment so they could visit for tea or
conversation during the course of the day. One day, when the elevator wasn’t
working, Sheila walked down eight floors to catch a bus to the casino with her
friends. She was always a people person, and wasn’t about to be denied the
pleasure of their company.
Not surprisingly, Sheila was also a
devoted mother. After her sons Wayne and Glen were born, the family spent many
years camping and going on family trips. Her unique sense of style carried
through even to camping sites, where she could often be seen preparing meals on
the Coleman stove in white slacks – not exactly the best clothing colour to be
roughing it in. Many summers were also spent at Lac du Bonnet with close
friends Beryl and Peter Larsson.
Later, when Frank pursued his dream of
building a cabin cruiser boat, Sheila supported that dream without reservation.
Then, after Frank acquired a beautiful piece of lakefront property at Hillside
Beach, she and Frank built a family cottage, putting it together piece by piece
as they could afford it. That cabin was a great source of pleasure for Sheila
and Frank. Not only was it close to her sister Audrey and brother-in-law Ralph’s
cottage, but it served as a base for family and friends to gather, spending
many a night laughing and having dances and parties in the half-built
cottage. Sheila was known to play her ukulele and sing a vast repertoire of
songs at those gatherings, much to everyone’s delight.
In 2010, Sheila moved into Sterling
House in Lindenwoods with major reservations. Most of her life had been spent
in East Kildonan, and she now had to move to the city’s south end so Glen could
be nearby to care for her. It didn’t take Sheila much time to adjust to her new
setting. Before long, she had another circle of friends who all came to love
this fun-loving lady because of her light-hearted attitude and endless supply
of jokes. Sheila always carried a $20 bill with her with naked men on it, and
often passed it off to unsuspecting people to see how they would react to the
somewhat racy currency. Suffice it to say, her nearly three years at Sterling
House were a great experience for everyone.
Most of all, Sheila loved having
friends and family around her. We will always remember her birthday parties and
family dinners, occasions where she could be counted on to show up in the most
hilarious hat you’d ever seen. Her sense of humour was infectious, and made
every gathering a memorable one.
Sheila’s passing has left us with a hole in our hearts and lives,
but we rest easy in the knowledge that she has gone to join her love, Frank.
Her fun-loving personality touched a lot of hearts; she was a ray of light in
every situation, and her gift of humour and positivity will never be forgotten.
A private Family Service will be held at
a later date.
The family would like to give special thanks to Dr. Previne Mehta,
who treated mom like she was a member of his family. We would also like to
thank Dr. Johnson and Dr. Ogaranko at Cancer Care at the Victoria Hospital, and
her nurses on the fifth floor. Through all of Sheila’s health challenges, there
were numerous health care providers who cared for her and made the experience
as comfortable as possible. Many of you became very close to her, and we
appreciate how gently you cared for her.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be
made to The Winnipeg Humane Society or Cancer Care Manitoba in Sheila’s memory.
For those family and friends wishing to view, share photos and
leave tributes, please visit the following link: http://www.forevermissed.com/sheila-catherine-williams
Richard Wojcik of Wojcik’s Winnipeg Funeral Chapel &
Crematorium, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204 – 897 – 4665, is in care of arrangements.
wojciksfuneralchapel.com
Wojcik’s
FUNERAL CHAPEL & CREMATORIUM
2157 PORTAGE AVENUE
204 – 897 - 4665
www.wojciksfuneralchapel
