Officiating

  Music

  Tribute

  Eulogy

  Thanks

  Norm

Shirley Neame was born in Cranbrook BC in 1929.  She was one of four children born to Phyllis and James Webster.  Her brothers Bob and Jim Webster are here with us today and her sister Faith Clinton sends us her love from Toronto.

Growing up, Shirley was a bright and hard working student.  She did well at all of her studies.  In 1952, she graduated as a nurse from the University Hospital in Edmonton

This past September, she hosted the 50^th reunion of her nursing class.  Hosting the reunion was a gratifying accomplishment for Shirley and created a wonderful memory for her classmates.

At the University of Alberta she met my father Norman Neame.  She said she married him because he was such a good dancer.  He also turned out to be a supportive and loving life-partner and a very good father.

Shirley and Norm had four children;
          myself, Carol
          my brother David,
          my brother Roger, and
          my sister Bailey.
They were married for a memorable 49 years.

After graduation, Mom worked for a few years as a nurse, and then found that her true calling was as a homemaker and a mother.  She made a warm and supportive home for her family.

Mom created marvellous memories like the smell of fresh bread that she baked every week, and the home-made casseroles and soups that she made regularly from scratch.  It was wonderful to come home from school on the weekly baking day to feast on home made stew and fresh baked buns.

It was also important to my mother to make a safe and clean environment for her children.    If you have noticed the broom propped up next to the flowers, it is because in a home managed by my mother, every day started by dusting the floors with a dust mop to pick up any dust that may have fallen overnight, every meal was not cleaned up until the kitchen floor had been completely swept, and there was always a broom within easy reach of the outside steps in case a few leaves or flakes of snow had fallen on the walkways.

Shirley had marvellous energy as a mother.  Every summer Mom and Dad would pack 4 children, a big canvas tent, sleeping bags and air mattresses for 6, pots and pans and all the camping paraphernalia that was required to take 4 children camping in the mountains for several weeks.  The camping equipment included a big wash up pot that did double duty when the water that was used to wash the dishes was left in the pot to give one-year old Bailey a bath.

In addition to the camping vacations, we have fond memories of extended camping trips through BC, and Vancouver Island Long Beach, and a two month camping trip down through California and up through the Arizona and Nevada desert.  When we were a little older, the camping became more hiking and some backpacking.

Shirley truly enjoyed our mountains and loved showing them off to visiting friends.  She was proud of the hikes and climbs she had done.  The inside of the memorial folder that you have has a picture of Mount Yamnuska, which was one of Shirley’s favourite climbs.

After my Dad retired, my mother and dad took annual trips to places abroad.  One of their first trips was a road trip in the family van all across Canada to the Maritimes.  The van was nicknamed the ‘boogie van’.  They also drove the van down to and all through Mexico and all the way up to Alaska.

Over the years, Shirley has

• cruised the Inside Passage up to Alaska.
• rafted the McKenzie Delta above the Arctic Circle,
• taken a boat down the jungle canals of Costa Rica,
• ridden an elephant and slept in the huts of tribal chiefs in the hills of Thailand,
• visited the ancient Inca ruins at Machu Pechu in Peru,
• explored the headwaters of the Amazon River in a canoe,
• flown in a small plane around Mount Everest in Nepal,
• visited with Buddhist monks and the Taj Mahal in India,
• floated in a hot air balloon above the African savanna,
• ridden camels in the Australian outback,
• hiked the Milford Track of New Zealand, and
• walked on the Great Wall of China.

My mother approached travel the same way she approached life.  She said of one of her trips,

“It wasn’t exactly a relaxing holiday; it wasn’t always pleasant, it wasn’t always beautiful; it wasn’t easy.  It was a great adventure.”

In closing, I would like to read to you four lines from the poem that Shirley chose to share with us:

My life’s been full.  I’ve savored much:
Good friends, good times, a loved one’s touch.
Lift up your hearts, and peace be to thee.
Don’t grieve for me, for now I’m free.