Obituary of Verna Brownbridge
A recording of the service is available below
Verna Brownbridge was born Gladys Verna Gibbs on May 16, 1924, at Dummer, Saskatchewan, the youngest of four children of Gilbert W.S. Gibbs (1886 to 1970) and his wife M.A. Gertrude “Gertie” Fielding (1899 to 1979). The Gibbs ancestors originated in Somerset, England, while her Fielding forebears came from Lancashire, England. In 1916 Verna's parents married in Bracebridge, Ontario, where members of both the Gibbs and Fielding families had settled in the late 1800s. Verna's parents moved to Saskatchewan where their four children were born: R. Elma (1919 to 2000), Mervyn S. (1921 to 1944, killed in action WWII), Alvin M. (1923 to 1977) and Verna (1924 to 2021). The family took up residency in Truax, Saskatchewan. At age 22 Verna moved to Regina where she was employed by the Provincial Department of Health. She met her future husband Ralph “Brownie” Brownbridge (1904 to 1986) who was also employed by the Provincial Department of Health. In 1950 they were married. At retirement Verna and Brownie enjoyed cottage life at Regina Beach, swimming and boating there. They also traveled and spent many seasons in Mexico and California. Verna had enthusiastic interests in cooking, baking, sewing, film, theatres and crossword puzzles. In 1975 together with Elma Nichol they undertook property management of the Braemar Apartments in Regina, a 50-suite complex where they resided. Verna continued her property management career until December 2020. She was predeceased by her parents; her siblings; her husband; brother-in-law Fred Nichol (1966); her sister-in-law Helen Lindsay Gibbs (2007); and her beloved niece Lynelle Nichol Stephanson (2002). Verna is survived by her nephew Mervyn Nichol (Susan Kargut) of Saskatoon; great nephew Paul Stephanson of Edmonton, Alberta; great-nieces Pamela Nichol of England and Wendy Nichol Best (Don) of Calgary; and her great-great-grandniece Claire Best. Funeral Service will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. Verna will be laid to rest alongside her husband Brownie at Riverside Memorial Park. Those wishing to celebrate the loving memory of Verna can do so with donations to the Regina Humane Society, PO Box 3143, Regina, SK S4P 3G7, in support of her lifelong love of animals and the prevention of cruelty to them. To view the livestream of the service or to leave an online message of condolence, please visit Verna’s Tribute Page at www.speersfuneralchapel.com
