Obituary for Carol Marie Thiessen (Thiessen)
Carol Marie Thiessen
Born February 1, 1956, Kitchener, Ontario
Died May 17, 2021, Calgary, Alberta
Our beloved Carol is finally at peace, comfortable and pain free, with no more pokes and prodding, medical tests, procedures, and various indignities. We suspect she is hanging out with her late brother Bob (Robert) Thiessen, watching sunsets, sleeping in, knitting, eating as many nachos and runny fried-egg sandwiches as she pleases and having lots of naps. She deserves all that and more. She was a remarkable person, much loved and she is so greatly missed. We honour her memory by keeping her in our hearts, alive and well as she was: kind, enchanting and beautiful.
Carol will be remembered for her beauty, grace, quite incredible courage and remarkable strength, and her modest, non-assuming approach to life and living. She had a bedazzling smile and friendly manner that was so welcoming. She loved plants and flowers, nature, and the peacefulness of the forest and lakes. She had a soft spot for children, particularly her nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews. She took singular pride and complete joy in knitting items for infants and the children of her family and friends; it was her passion. Many of those items will serve as part of her amazing legacy of love. Although incredibly humble and soft spoken, her stubbornness and resilience are legendary and were and are inspiring to all who had the great good fortune to know her. She was a role model to all who knew her, particularly those closest to her.
Carol is greatly missed by friends and family from Cape Breton to Vancouver Island and everywhere in between. We are all diminished by her absence. Her sisters Betty Dwyer and Ruth Thiessen mourn the grievous loss of a second sibling unfairly taken before their time.
Carol grew up in Waterloo, Ontario, the third child of Gerry and Elvera Thiessen, and treasured her memories of those years including summers as a counsellor at the Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. Fascinated by information, she studied library science which prompted a move to Toronto and founded a career as a librarian and information specialist. Those skills and that expertise led her through a career that included the Toronto Star, The Financial Post, InfoMart, Southam, Alliance Pipeline, TransAlta Corp., and Calgary Economic Development. She was always a favourite of colleagues and her working relationships became friendships that still last today.
While at the Financial Post she met and fell in love with Geoff Scotton (really, it was the other way around), her partner of more than 30 years. Geoff introduced Carol to his family’s special place at Otty Lake, Ontario where they built many happy memories, eventually becoming invited members of a cooperative cottage community. It was Carol’s favourite place on earth, one of the many things Geoff and Carol agreed on. Geoff’s career path led him west to Calgary, a path he would not tread without her, so they bet everything on one another, and arrived in Alberta together in January 1994.
Carol and Geoff built a successful life and a comfortable and welcoming home together in Calgary, and as best friends supported each other through challenges that included addiction, familiarity, career change and illness. It was a fabulous team. Unbeaten. Indivisible. Triumphant.
Carol endured many medical challenges springing from the insidious autoimmune disease Lupus, eventually including Sjogren’s Syndrome, arthritis, heart disease, kidney failure, leuko-encephalopathy, shingles, neuro-muscular degeneration/polyneuropathy, and cancer. She faced them all with incredible courage and resolve - and she beat each one. However, cumulatively, they were too much. Carol’s body failed her but her will never wavered. She was the definition of feisty.
In accordance with her wishes, Carol’s remains will be cremated. Plans for a memorial will be considered when circumstances allow.
Carol’s family, including the Scottons (Anne and Lindsay and their families – Brocks, Fletchers, et al) in Ottawa, the Thiessens and Meissners in the Waterloo region, and the Ladouceurs in Toronto, along with her many friends are completely heartbroken. Carol’s partner Geoff is devastated and lost, but heartened by knowing Carol is at last comfortable, without pain, and loved now and forever. He considers it the singular privilege of his life to have shared so much with someone so remarkable.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Carol please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.
Born February 1, 1956, Kitchener, Ontario
Died May 17, 2021, Calgary, Alberta
Our beloved Carol is finally at peace, comfortable and pain free, with no more pokes and prodding, medical tests, procedures, and various indignities. We suspect she is hanging out with her late brother Bob (Robert) Thiessen, watching sunsets, sleeping in, knitting, eating as many nachos and runny fried-egg sandwiches as she pleases and having lots of naps. She deserves all that and more. She was a remarkable person, much loved and she is so greatly missed. We honour her memory by keeping her in our hearts, alive and well as she was: kind, enchanting and beautiful.
Carol will be remembered for her beauty, grace, quite incredible courage and remarkable strength, and her modest, non-assuming approach to life and living. She had a bedazzling smile and friendly manner that was so welcoming. She loved plants and flowers, nature, and the peacefulness of the forest and lakes. She had a soft spot for children, particularly her nieces and nephews, and great-nieces and great-nephews. She took singular pride and complete joy in knitting items for infants and the children of her family and friends; it was her passion. Many of those items will serve as part of her amazing legacy of love. Although incredibly humble and soft spoken, her stubbornness and resilience are legendary and were and are inspiring to all who had the great good fortune to know her. She was a role model to all who knew her, particularly those closest to her.
Carol is greatly missed by friends and family from Cape Breton to Vancouver Island and everywhere in between. We are all diminished by her absence. Her sisters Betty Dwyer and Ruth Thiessen mourn the grievous loss of a second sibling unfairly taken before their time.
Carol grew up in Waterloo, Ontario, the third child of Gerry and Elvera Thiessen, and treasured her memories of those years including summers as a counsellor at the Silver Lake Mennonite Camp. Fascinated by information, she studied library science which prompted a move to Toronto and founded a career as a librarian and information specialist. Those skills and that expertise led her through a career that included the Toronto Star, The Financial Post, InfoMart, Southam, Alliance Pipeline, TransAlta Corp., and Calgary Economic Development. She was always a favourite of colleagues and her working relationships became friendships that still last today.
While at the Financial Post she met and fell in love with Geoff Scotton (really, it was the other way around), her partner of more than 30 years. Geoff introduced Carol to his family’s special place at Otty Lake, Ontario where they built many happy memories, eventually becoming invited members of a cooperative cottage community. It was Carol’s favourite place on earth, one of the many things Geoff and Carol agreed on. Geoff’s career path led him west to Calgary, a path he would not tread without her, so they bet everything on one another, and arrived in Alberta together in January 1994.
Carol and Geoff built a successful life and a comfortable and welcoming home together in Calgary, and as best friends supported each other through challenges that included addiction, familiarity, career change and illness. It was a fabulous team. Unbeaten. Indivisible. Triumphant.
Carol endured many medical challenges springing from the insidious autoimmune disease Lupus, eventually including Sjogren’s Syndrome, arthritis, heart disease, kidney failure, leuko-encephalopathy, shingles, neuro-muscular degeneration/polyneuropathy, and cancer. She faced them all with incredible courage and resolve - and she beat each one. However, cumulatively, they were too much. Carol’s body failed her but her will never wavered. She was the definition of feisty.
In accordance with her wishes, Carol’s remains will be cremated. Plans for a memorial will be considered when circumstances allow.
Carol’s family, including the Scottons (Anne and Lindsay and their families – Brocks, Fletchers, et al) in Ottawa, the Thiessens and Meissners in the Waterloo region, and the Ladouceurs in Toronto, along with her many friends are completely heartbroken. Carol’s partner Geoff is devastated and lost, but heartened by knowing Carol is at last comfortable, without pain, and loved now and forever. He considers it the singular privilege of his life to have shared so much with someone so remarkable.
To view and share photos, condolences and stories of Carol please visit www.choicememorial.com. Arrangements entrusted to the care of Choice Memorial Cremation & Funeral Services (403) 277-7343.