Obituary of Matilda Theresa Schwartz

Our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother passed away in the early hours of Friday, February 5, 2021. Matilda was born May 28, 1926 in Regina to Julia Kandel and Jakob Bardua. She attended Wetmore School and Balfour Collegiate. She learned to play the violin and enjoyed participating in Balfour's school orchestra. 

After finishing high school in 1945, Tillie worked briefly at Eaton's Department Store before moving to the fledgling Co-Op Life Insurance, now The Co-Operators, as a stenographer until the birth of her first child, Glenn, in 1951. She was intelligent and industrious and enjoyed working. In another time she would have been a successful career woman.

Tillie married Adam in 1947. In 1954 they built a new home on 18th Avenue East in a new subdivision on the outskirts of town still awaiting roads and sewers. Their second child, Gail, was born in the same year. A third child, Cheryl arrived later.

 Although Tillie was a homemaker, she was busy outside the home too. She was on the executive of the Group Committee for Glenn’s Cub and Scout troops for many years and was an almost daily chauffeur for many years while Gail and Cheryl took dancing lessons. Besides raising a family, Tillie also kept busy with other pursuits. She was bookkeeper for Adam’s business, A&B Autobody, from 1964 to 1975, a founder and Secretary-Treasurer of the Victoria Club 10-pin Mixed Bowling League, President of the Regina Bowling Association, and a Director of the Saskatchewan Bowling Association. She was an avid and accomplished bowler and took up golfing in the late 1980s.

 In their younger years Adam and Tillie loved to dance and attended every dancing event that they could. In their later years, they babysat and followed the activities of their two youngest grandchildren. Later yet they enjoyed the additions of their great grandchildren. They spent a few months of the winter in Mesa, Arizona from 1988 to 2005. For many years they regularly played cards with a group of close friends. Neighbours in their condo card-playing group marveled at what good card players Mom and Dad were in their 90s.

 Tillie was predeceased by her parents; her husband of 70 years, Adam; her sister, Martha; Adam’s brother Peter and his wife Marie and Adam’s sister, Anne. She is survived by brothers-in-law, Harold Mengel and Ervin Dahlman; son Glenn (Celeste); daughters, Gail (Dale) Montgomery and Cheryl (Ron) Sprung; Glenn’s children, Carla (Tyler Lukiwski), Darren (Susan Spruston), and Laura (Brett) Matlock; Gail’s children, Colin (Lisa) and Kristin (Riley) Agopsowicz; and Cheryl’s children, Nathan and Matthew; great-grandchildren, Justin and Cameron Schwartz, Charlotte, Annabelle, and Louisa Matlock, Carson and Reid Montgomery, Camdyn Agopsowicz; and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

Those wishing to donate in her name may contribute to Trinity Lutheran Church, 1909 Ottawa St. Regina SK S4P 1P7.

Special thanks to several of her neighbours at Toscana Place who were so kind to her in her final years and to the paramedics, ER staff and staff on 3E at the General Hospital who helped her through her final hours.

The family and friends of Matilda would like to invite family, friends and neighbors to a Celebration of her Life to be held at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1909 Ottawa Street, Regina, SK on Sunday, August 29, 2021 at 2:00 p.m.