Obituary for Pearl Rosalie Simons
Pearl Rosalie Simons (nee Shillingford)
March 11, 1921 – March 6, 2021
Our precious Pearl was born March 11, 1921 in Fleming, Saskatchewan to parents Montigue and Ruby Shillingford and was one of 8 children. They were a very tight-knit family, she loved her Dad and Mom and each of her 3 sisters and 4 brothers.
There was many a tale that Mom shared about her family. She loved to tell the story of her family winning the biggest family on ice contest. They had 10 family members skate holding hands from one end of the rink to the other, including 3-year-old Bob. The prize was a copper boiler, which each of them bathed in for many, many years.
Mom always had a huge zest for life, right from the get-go. When she was a little girl, her dad returned from a trip with pretty garters for each of the girls. Mom would put hers on, then would swing as high as she could so her skirt would float up and reveal her new green garter with its pretty bow.
Traumatically, Mom lost her father at the very young age of 10. Ruby, Pearl’s Mom raised the eight children on her own with the income from her cows and chickens. It was a tough life and Mom was always proud to be able to say none of the kids were ever in jail.
Ruby would receive clothing from people in the community which she would fashion into outfits for her children. Mom had a special favorite, a bright red coat with a white fur trim. As much as she loved the colour of the coat, the bright red made her easy to spot when she played hooky from school.
To help with the family income, Mom started working cleaning houses and looking after children at the age of 13. She continued to work hard her whole life. Mom and her sister, May were cooks at the Dewdney Spot Lunch in Regina, Mom had many fond memories of this time in her life. She especially loved the cute uniforms that she and Aunty May designed. She appreciated the nice police officer who would walk her home to make sure she was safe at night. She was also very well dressed, as sister Libby who was a model, would send Mom fancy clothes and fishnet stockings, which instilled the great sense of style Mom had.
During the Second World War, Mom was employed to fix the damaged wings of training planes used to train the airmen who would be soon flying off to war. She said she used dope and factory cotton to repair the holes, then painted the bullseyes back on. She always had a good laugh when she told the story of getting the zipper of her “cute little overalls” caught in the grinder, almost starting herself on fire.
Mom returned to Fleming, to help her Mother and family.
She married in 1945 and had her first child, a cute curly blond fellow they called Earnest Montigue, our brother Monty. She always remarked how difficult it was to take him for his first haircut…she loved those curls. By the time she was blessed with her second child, in 1948, William Wayne… she was a single parent, raising the two boys on her own, living on food rations and having only 24 cans of evaporated milk a month for a very hungry little Wayne.
Her knight in shining armor came along in the form of David Henry Simons. At a dance, he was told by Fanny Richards, his employee at the Windsor Hotel, that he better “go after that little girl” and she kindly volunteered to babysit the boys so they could go on a date. The date must have been a success as Dad sang “The girl that I marry” to Mom on their way home.
Dad moved to Calgary in 1952 and sent for Mom and the 2 boys in 1955, who he loved and raised as his own sons. He arranged rental accommodations for Mom to live in until they could be married on August 9, 1955. A year later they were celebrating the birth of their baby girl, Gerry. They were hoping for a baby girl, so Gerry was the apple of their eye, and was always kept in pretty dresses. They didn’t expect to have any more children, but in 1964 they were surprised with a little red-headed girl they named Valerie. Mom was amazed and a little terrified to be having a baby at 43 years of age, but it turned out she was the youngest in a room of 4 other mothers.
Money was tight, so Mom looked after 2 little girls and had boarders to help make ends meet. When Dad was forced to leave Carpentry due to health reasons, Mom became the primary breadwinner which she embraced, and worked in the Drycleaners as a presser until 1977.
She enjoyed baking bread and pies, canning tomatoes from the garden, making jams and jellies. She was delighted to sew and knit for Gerry and Valerie, dressing them in matching Fortrel pant suits… As much joy as it brought her, the girls were horrified and none too happy about their attire when they went to school! …in grade 8 Valerie traded in her new skates to buy some blue jeans!
For the most part she was very skilled at the things she did. But there was a beanbag frog that came out with 5 legs, and on one occasion after kneading her dough she discovered she had lost the thumb of her yellow rubber glove. The loaf eventually found itself with Gerry’s family and popped out with a “thumbs up” when being sliced for sandwiches.
She loved to dress up, whether it was borrowing Monty’s Karate outfit for some “Hi-YAH!” poses in the garden or dressing as mini-Pearl for the Fleming 75th Homecoming. And she really loved to wear her long gowns to the dances. Harry often chuckled about the time she broke up a fight, while wearing her full-length gown, she jumped on the man’s back, grabbed him by the nose and hauled him off.
The kids often got to experience her antics as well, like the time they were in Mossleigh for a wedding, and decided they should go out to the bar, seeing the stage she exclaimed “Oh a Stage Show” and unintentionally got Valerie front row seating for a very revealing male dance show. But she didn’t stop there, afterwards she invited herself and everyone in the bar to a band member’s home for a party.
Mom loved to visit Gerry and her family on their acreage, where she helped with painting and other tasks. Gerry remembers the day O’Malley the cat mistook Mom for Gerry and leaped onto her chest from 6 feet away, sending Mom into a “Tizzy”.
She was a wonderful Mother, kind, caring and always fair. But you didn’t get away with anything, she ran a tight ship. She was protective of her children, and supportive of their endeavors. She loved unconditionally, which is such a very rare trait; and disappointing her was the worst feeling in the world.
But as wonderful as she was as a Mom, she was just as wonderful as a Grandma, and absolutely loved each and every one of her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. She’d often sang “Rock-a-Bye Baby” and “Jesus Loves Me” while cuddling the babies.
After Dad passed, she continued to go to senior clubs where she had many friends, and where she eventually met Andy at the young age of 84. Andy loved to travel, and he and Mom went to Hawaii where she was brave enough to go in a submarine and a helicopter.
Mom lived in the same home in Forest Lawn for 40 years before she moved into her little condo in Dover making many friends, playing Rummoli, sharing drinks on the driveway or sometimes even dancing in the street.
Mom aged very well and was still driving at the age of 94. She moved from Calgary to Airdrie in 2015, when a condo came up 2 doors down from Gerry. This was a wonderful arrangement, as having Gerry and other family members nearby, and eventually Ricardo (Gerry’s husband) as well, ensured she had support and could remain independent in her own home, which was so important to her.
She continued to bake her own bread until she was 96 and continued to host Christmas gatherings for the whole family until she was 98. She would always stand up at the end of the table before dinner was served to thank everyone for coming.
She continued to knit and everyone who visited was offered a scarf, she even made scarves for all Gerry’s co-workers at Bed, Bath and Beyond, as she was running out of family members to give them to. Christmas 2020, Gerry and Mom wrapped 61 of her scarves to be given as gifts. “From my Nose to my toes…that’s how long I need to make the scarf” is what she often said.
She enjoyed drives in the country and would try and coax horses and cows to the fence so she could talk to them. Like the big black bull that ignored her until she exclaimed “Well, I just think you’re full of Bull-****, then laughed at her wit! She also enjoyed being taken for walks along the Airdrie canal to see the ducks and on occasion a muskrat. She enjoyed playing Go-Fish with her Grandson, Cayden who said she would keep putting cards down even if it wasn’t her turn. Most evenings she played Rummy with Gerry and Ricardo and usually whipped their butts…although they were playing by Pearl’s rules…
Pearl will be remembered for her fun-loving, gracious nature, unstoppable positive outlook and zest for life that was often mischievous. Like the game of basketball where she ran between the official’s legs, who laughed so hard he couldn’t blow his whistle, or wearing men’s gumboots and doing the jitter bug, putting on her brother’s “tighty-whiteys” and jumping on a saddle for a photo op, skinning the cat on the rafters at 50, sliding into home base at 60, cartwheels at 74, helicopter rides at 84…and kicking up her heals at Gerry and Ricardo’s wedding at 98.
She was truly one-of-a-kind and will be sorely missed. We can best honour her memory, by not taking ourselves too seriously, enjoying a good laugh, not sweating the small things, working hard and not letting age determine the fun you have in life.
She died peacefully on March 6th in the Peter Lougheed Hospital in Calgary, at the age of 99, just 5 days shy of her 100th birthday. Her daughters, Gerry and Valerie and Valerie’s partner Jon were by her side when she went to heaven. She was laid to rest beside her beloved husband Harry on March 12th, 2021 in the Rocky View Garden of Peace Cemetery after an intimate Funeral Service for her immediate family at Choice Memorial.
Pearl is survived by her Son Monty (Ruth) Jefferson, daughters Gerry (Ricardo) Sanchez, Valerie (Jon) Simons, 7 Grandchildren, and 10 Great Grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her husband David Henry (Harry) Simons, her son Wayne (Linda) Jefferson, her Father (Monty) and Mother (Ruby) Shillingford, her siblings Libby (Ralph) Lawrence, May (Wally) Forsythe, Gladys (Charlie) Henderson, Pat (Clare) Shillingford, Scotty Shillingford, Bob (Josephine) Shillingford and Clarence (Clarice) Shillingford.
We’d like to thank all the family members who sent their Birthday wishes in preparation for her 100th birthday book, we are thankful to have been able to re-connect with all of you and will continue to stay in touch.
The family would also like to send a special thanks to Airdrie homecare and especially the wonderful caregivers who always took the time to have a conversation or go above and beyond to care for our Pearl.
We’d like to ask that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to Airdrie Meals on Wheels who always checked on Mom when they dropped off the meals. www.airdriemealsonwheels.ca
Also, thank you so much to Choice Memorial who were so helpful in the planning of our Celebration of Life, your guidance and assistance was appreciated.
Heaven is now rejoicing as they have the life of the party and bell of the ball with them.
God Bless You, Precious Pearl…We all love you!
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Pearl, please visit www.choicememorial.com.
March 11, 1921 – March 6, 2021
Our precious Pearl was born March 11, 1921 in Fleming, Saskatchewan to parents Montigue and Ruby Shillingford and was one of 8 children. They were a very tight-knit family, she loved her Dad and Mom and each of her 3 sisters and 4 brothers.
There was many a tale that Mom shared about her family. She loved to tell the story of her family winning the biggest family on ice contest. They had 10 family members skate holding hands from one end of the rink to the other, including 3-year-old Bob. The prize was a copper boiler, which each of them bathed in for many, many years.
Mom always had a huge zest for life, right from the get-go. When she was a little girl, her dad returned from a trip with pretty garters for each of the girls. Mom would put hers on, then would swing as high as she could so her skirt would float up and reveal her new green garter with its pretty bow.
Traumatically, Mom lost her father at the very young age of 10. Ruby, Pearl’s Mom raised the eight children on her own with the income from her cows and chickens. It was a tough life and Mom was always proud to be able to say none of the kids were ever in jail.
Ruby would receive clothing from people in the community which she would fashion into outfits for her children. Mom had a special favorite, a bright red coat with a white fur trim. As much as she loved the colour of the coat, the bright red made her easy to spot when she played hooky from school.
To help with the family income, Mom started working cleaning houses and looking after children at the age of 13. She continued to work hard her whole life. Mom and her sister, May were cooks at the Dewdney Spot Lunch in Regina, Mom had many fond memories of this time in her life. She especially loved the cute uniforms that she and Aunty May designed. She appreciated the nice police officer who would walk her home to make sure she was safe at night. She was also very well dressed, as sister Libby who was a model, would send Mom fancy clothes and fishnet stockings, which instilled the great sense of style Mom had.
During the Second World War, Mom was employed to fix the damaged wings of training planes used to train the airmen who would be soon flying off to war. She said she used dope and factory cotton to repair the holes, then painted the bullseyes back on. She always had a good laugh when she told the story of getting the zipper of her “cute little overalls” caught in the grinder, almost starting herself on fire.
Mom returned to Fleming, to help her Mother and family.
She married in 1945 and had her first child, a cute curly blond fellow they called Earnest Montigue, our brother Monty. She always remarked how difficult it was to take him for his first haircut…she loved those curls. By the time she was blessed with her second child, in 1948, William Wayne… she was a single parent, raising the two boys on her own, living on food rations and having only 24 cans of evaporated milk a month for a very hungry little Wayne.
Her knight in shining armor came along in the form of David Henry Simons. At a dance, he was told by Fanny Richards, his employee at the Windsor Hotel, that he better “go after that little girl” and she kindly volunteered to babysit the boys so they could go on a date. The date must have been a success as Dad sang “The girl that I marry” to Mom on their way home.
Dad moved to Calgary in 1952 and sent for Mom and the 2 boys in 1955, who he loved and raised as his own sons. He arranged rental accommodations for Mom to live in until they could be married on August 9, 1955. A year later they were celebrating the birth of their baby girl, Gerry. They were hoping for a baby girl, so Gerry was the apple of their eye, and was always kept in pretty dresses. They didn’t expect to have any more children, but in 1964 they were surprised with a little red-headed girl they named Valerie. Mom was amazed and a little terrified to be having a baby at 43 years of age, but it turned out she was the youngest in a room of 4 other mothers.
Money was tight, so Mom looked after 2 little girls and had boarders to help make ends meet. When Dad was forced to leave Carpentry due to health reasons, Mom became the primary breadwinner which she embraced, and worked in the Drycleaners as a presser until 1977.
She enjoyed baking bread and pies, canning tomatoes from the garden, making jams and jellies. She was delighted to sew and knit for Gerry and Valerie, dressing them in matching Fortrel pant suits… As much joy as it brought her, the girls were horrified and none too happy about their attire when they went to school! …in grade 8 Valerie traded in her new skates to buy some blue jeans!
For the most part she was very skilled at the things she did. But there was a beanbag frog that came out with 5 legs, and on one occasion after kneading her dough she discovered she had lost the thumb of her yellow rubber glove. The loaf eventually found itself with Gerry’s family and popped out with a “thumbs up” when being sliced for sandwiches.
She loved to dress up, whether it was borrowing Monty’s Karate outfit for some “Hi-YAH!” poses in the garden or dressing as mini-Pearl for the Fleming 75th Homecoming. And she really loved to wear her long gowns to the dances. Harry often chuckled about the time she broke up a fight, while wearing her full-length gown, she jumped on the man’s back, grabbed him by the nose and hauled him off.
The kids often got to experience her antics as well, like the time they were in Mossleigh for a wedding, and decided they should go out to the bar, seeing the stage she exclaimed “Oh a Stage Show” and unintentionally got Valerie front row seating for a very revealing male dance show. But she didn’t stop there, afterwards she invited herself and everyone in the bar to a band member’s home for a party.
Mom loved to visit Gerry and her family on their acreage, where she helped with painting and other tasks. Gerry remembers the day O’Malley the cat mistook Mom for Gerry and leaped onto her chest from 6 feet away, sending Mom into a “Tizzy”.
She was a wonderful Mother, kind, caring and always fair. But you didn’t get away with anything, she ran a tight ship. She was protective of her children, and supportive of their endeavors. She loved unconditionally, which is such a very rare trait; and disappointing her was the worst feeling in the world.
But as wonderful as she was as a Mom, she was just as wonderful as a Grandma, and absolutely loved each and every one of her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. She’d often sang “Rock-a-Bye Baby” and “Jesus Loves Me” while cuddling the babies.
After Dad passed, she continued to go to senior clubs where she had many friends, and where she eventually met Andy at the young age of 84. Andy loved to travel, and he and Mom went to Hawaii where she was brave enough to go in a submarine and a helicopter.
Mom lived in the same home in Forest Lawn for 40 years before she moved into her little condo in Dover making many friends, playing Rummoli, sharing drinks on the driveway or sometimes even dancing in the street.
Mom aged very well and was still driving at the age of 94. She moved from Calgary to Airdrie in 2015, when a condo came up 2 doors down from Gerry. This was a wonderful arrangement, as having Gerry and other family members nearby, and eventually Ricardo (Gerry’s husband) as well, ensured she had support and could remain independent in her own home, which was so important to her.
She continued to bake her own bread until she was 96 and continued to host Christmas gatherings for the whole family until she was 98. She would always stand up at the end of the table before dinner was served to thank everyone for coming.
She continued to knit and everyone who visited was offered a scarf, she even made scarves for all Gerry’s co-workers at Bed, Bath and Beyond, as she was running out of family members to give them to. Christmas 2020, Gerry and Mom wrapped 61 of her scarves to be given as gifts. “From my Nose to my toes…that’s how long I need to make the scarf” is what she often said.
She enjoyed drives in the country and would try and coax horses and cows to the fence so she could talk to them. Like the big black bull that ignored her until she exclaimed “Well, I just think you’re full of Bull-****, then laughed at her wit! She also enjoyed being taken for walks along the Airdrie canal to see the ducks and on occasion a muskrat. She enjoyed playing Go-Fish with her Grandson, Cayden who said she would keep putting cards down even if it wasn’t her turn. Most evenings she played Rummy with Gerry and Ricardo and usually whipped their butts…although they were playing by Pearl’s rules…
Pearl will be remembered for her fun-loving, gracious nature, unstoppable positive outlook and zest for life that was often mischievous. Like the game of basketball where she ran between the official’s legs, who laughed so hard he couldn’t blow his whistle, or wearing men’s gumboots and doing the jitter bug, putting on her brother’s “tighty-whiteys” and jumping on a saddle for a photo op, skinning the cat on the rafters at 50, sliding into home base at 60, cartwheels at 74, helicopter rides at 84…and kicking up her heals at Gerry and Ricardo’s wedding at 98.
She was truly one-of-a-kind and will be sorely missed. We can best honour her memory, by not taking ourselves too seriously, enjoying a good laugh, not sweating the small things, working hard and not letting age determine the fun you have in life.
She died peacefully on March 6th in the Peter Lougheed Hospital in Calgary, at the age of 99, just 5 days shy of her 100th birthday. Her daughters, Gerry and Valerie and Valerie’s partner Jon were by her side when she went to heaven. She was laid to rest beside her beloved husband Harry on March 12th, 2021 in the Rocky View Garden of Peace Cemetery after an intimate Funeral Service for her immediate family at Choice Memorial.
Pearl is survived by her Son Monty (Ruth) Jefferson, daughters Gerry (Ricardo) Sanchez, Valerie (Jon) Simons, 7 Grandchildren, and 10 Great Grandchildren. She is pre-deceased by her husband David Henry (Harry) Simons, her son Wayne (Linda) Jefferson, her Father (Monty) and Mother (Ruby) Shillingford, her siblings Libby (Ralph) Lawrence, May (Wally) Forsythe, Gladys (Charlie) Henderson, Pat (Clare) Shillingford, Scotty Shillingford, Bob (Josephine) Shillingford and Clarence (Clarice) Shillingford.
We’d like to thank all the family members who sent their Birthday wishes in preparation for her 100th birthday book, we are thankful to have been able to re-connect with all of you and will continue to stay in touch.
The family would also like to send a special thanks to Airdrie homecare and especially the wonderful caregivers who always took the time to have a conversation or go above and beyond to care for our Pearl.
We’d like to ask that in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to Airdrie Meals on Wheels who always checked on Mom when they dropped off the meals. www.airdriemealsonwheels.ca
Also, thank you so much to Choice Memorial who were so helpful in the planning of our Celebration of Life, your guidance and assistance was appreciated.
Heaven is now rejoicing as they have the life of the party and bell of the ball with them.
God Bless You, Precious Pearl…We all love you!
To view and share photos, condolences and memories of Pearl, please visit www.choicememorial.com.