Obituary for Mary Millicent Thompson
THOMPSON, Mary Millicent
September 3, 1923-January 6, 2019
Our beautiful mom, grandmother and great grandmother, Mary Millicent Thompson, passed away peacefully January 6th 2019 surrounded by love at the Foothills Hospice near Okotoks, Alberta. Mom had a long and active life which she lived with humour, gratitude and grace and an enduring positive spirit. Born in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan mom married her sweetheart, Don Thompson, in 1945 and they set out on their journey together - a journey which lasted 68 years. They moved to Toronto in 1945 for dad to complete his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and in 1950 moved to Calgary where dad set up his dental practice. Mom kept things organized and active for dad and the four children: John ( Lesley Ostrosser), Donna (Bob Price) and the twins Pam (Ted Fullerton) and Patti (Mat Peters). Smart and accomplished in so many ways, mom used her many talents to give all of us a special home life. Appointments and music and gymnastic lessons and school projects were masterfully coordinated for all. A seamstress extraordinaire, mom made fantastic costumes and outfits for all of us. She loved to drive and motored us everywhere including many happy trips to the Calgary Winter Club. Summer holidays and weekends we headed to the cottage on Lake Windermere where she kept things under control in spite of four very active children running off in many different directions with the use of one bathroom and an old wringer washing machine. Mom trained as a stenographer and her typing skills were amazing. She was a stickler for proper grammar and her talents were a blessing as, thanks to mom and dad, we all had the privilege of attending university and mom became chief typist and editor for many a university paper.
Only when the children became more independent did mom get back to taking some time for herself. She quickly got back to sports which she always loved. She had been a speed skater in her youth and did softball and gymnastics. With the cabin at the lake came the opportunity to join the kids in water skiing and snow skiing and mom enjoyed curling and golf. She competed for many years in curling at the Winter Club and in golf at the Elks club in Calgary as well as the Riverside Golf Course in Fairmount.
Our parents were blessed with good health into their late 80s and were able to travel widely and enjoy their retirement. They lived at the cottage in Windermere during the summer months and spent time at their home in Palm Desert, California during the winter. Mom and dad deeply appreciated the dear friendships that grew from all of their activities and time spent living in Calgary, Windermere and Palm Desert. They were especially thankful for and deeply loved their three grandchildren – Paul Askey (Cori), Colin Askey (Kailin) and Spencer Brown. And the joy of their two great grandchildren; Paul and Cori's boys, Ethan and Marco.
Mom was capable and fearless. She was energetic and smart and she loved to laugh (Wile E. Coyote, Carol Burnett and Seinfeld were favorites). She was a wonderful example for all of us on how to live life seeing the beauty in life. We were blessed to have her for so long but still wish it could have been for longer. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Special thanks to so many who helped mom in so many ways over the last few years. Thanks to Sharon Holbrook and her staff and other friends and staff at the Renoir. Thank you to Grace and all the special caregivers from Home Instead. Our deepest appreciation to the wonderful staff, nurses and caregivers at the Foothills Country Hospice. It meant so much that mom spent her last months in a place of such love, care and support and we are eternally grateful.
So perhaps while sipping a glass of white wine (mom's favorite drink) let us make a toast – to continue to say our “please and thank you’s” and show good manners, to look for the good in the world and be a positive voice, to count our blessings and share a smile and a good laugh each day...for mom.
A Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held in the spring of 2019.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s memory to Foothills Country Hospice Society P.O. Box 274 Okotoks, AB T1S 1A5.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Mary please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.
September 3, 1923-January 6, 2019
Our beautiful mom, grandmother and great grandmother, Mary Millicent Thompson, passed away peacefully January 6th 2019 surrounded by love at the Foothills Hospice near Okotoks, Alberta. Mom had a long and active life which she lived with humour, gratitude and grace and an enduring positive spirit. Born in Moose Jaw Saskatchewan mom married her sweetheart, Don Thompson, in 1945 and they set out on their journey together - a journey which lasted 68 years. They moved to Toronto in 1945 for dad to complete his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and in 1950 moved to Calgary where dad set up his dental practice. Mom kept things organized and active for dad and the four children: John ( Lesley Ostrosser), Donna (Bob Price) and the twins Pam (Ted Fullerton) and Patti (Mat Peters). Smart and accomplished in so many ways, mom used her many talents to give all of us a special home life. Appointments and music and gymnastic lessons and school projects were masterfully coordinated for all. A seamstress extraordinaire, mom made fantastic costumes and outfits for all of us. She loved to drive and motored us everywhere including many happy trips to the Calgary Winter Club. Summer holidays and weekends we headed to the cottage on Lake Windermere where she kept things under control in spite of four very active children running off in many different directions with the use of one bathroom and an old wringer washing machine. Mom trained as a stenographer and her typing skills were amazing. She was a stickler for proper grammar and her talents were a blessing as, thanks to mom and dad, we all had the privilege of attending university and mom became chief typist and editor for many a university paper.
Only when the children became more independent did mom get back to taking some time for herself. She quickly got back to sports which she always loved. She had been a speed skater in her youth and did softball and gymnastics. With the cabin at the lake came the opportunity to join the kids in water skiing and snow skiing and mom enjoyed curling and golf. She competed for many years in curling at the Winter Club and in golf at the Elks club in Calgary as well as the Riverside Golf Course in Fairmount.
Our parents were blessed with good health into their late 80s and were able to travel widely and enjoy their retirement. They lived at the cottage in Windermere during the summer months and spent time at their home in Palm Desert, California during the winter. Mom and dad deeply appreciated the dear friendships that grew from all of their activities and time spent living in Calgary, Windermere and Palm Desert. They were especially thankful for and deeply loved their three grandchildren – Paul Askey (Cori), Colin Askey (Kailin) and Spencer Brown. And the joy of their two great grandchildren; Paul and Cori's boys, Ethan and Marco.
Mom was capable and fearless. She was energetic and smart and she loved to laugh (Wile E. Coyote, Carol Burnett and Seinfeld were favorites). She was a wonderful example for all of us on how to live life seeing the beauty in life. We were blessed to have her for so long but still wish it could have been for longer. She was deeply loved and will be dearly missed.
Special thanks to so many who helped mom in so many ways over the last few years. Thanks to Sharon Holbrook and her staff and other friends and staff at the Renoir. Thank you to Grace and all the special caregivers from Home Instead. Our deepest appreciation to the wonderful staff, nurses and caregivers at the Foothills Country Hospice. It meant so much that mom spent her last months in a place of such love, care and support and we are eternally grateful.
So perhaps while sipping a glass of white wine (mom's favorite drink) let us make a toast – to continue to say our “please and thank you’s” and show good manners, to look for the good in the world and be a positive voice, to count our blessings and share a smile and a good laugh each day...for mom.
A Celebration of Mary’s Life will be held in the spring of 2019.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Mary’s memory to Foothills Country Hospice Society P.O. Box 274 Okotoks, AB T1S 1A5.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Mary please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.