Gail Christine Balcaen passed away in Calgary, AB on Tuesday, December 27, 2022 at the age of 67 with her family by her side. She was the loving mother of Vanito (Carley) and loving grandmother to Kaius and Madelyn of Calgary, AB. She will also be lovingly remembered by her siblings, nieces and nephews - Leslie (San Diego) - Christie (Brett) San Francisco, Sean (Jeannie) Riley and Reese (Huntington Beach); Theresa - Tara, Mackenzie and Maddox (Calgary), Mindy (Jonas) Holt and Elin – (Foothills); Denise - Orion (Arielle) Elijah, Charleigh, Orson, Oscar (Saskatoon), Oliver (Angie) and Ashton (Saskatoon); Janine - Jason (Zita) Ryanne and Andy (Saskatoon) and her brother Allan (Saskatoon). She was predeceased by her father Emil Joseph Balcaen and her mother June Corrine Balcaen.

She was born in Saskatoon in 1955 and attended City Park School and Mount Royal Collegiate. After graduating she moved east to Montreal where she pursued a career in modelling and sung as the lead singer in various rock bands under the stage name Chiquita Viva. She returned to Saskatoon where she focused on raising her son and being active within her community. She moved to Calgary Alberta in 2017 to be closer to her family and grandchildren. Living so close to the mountains allowed her to enjoy her newfound passion for exploring the outdoors and seeing all that western Canada has to offer.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Peter Lougheed Centre as well as the Foothills Medical Centre for providing such wonderful care. A Celebration of Gail’s Life and the love her family has for her will be had at a future date.
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Gail, please visit www.choicememorial.com.