Obituary of Monika Helene Horn

HORN, Monika Helene

On Sunday, May 23, 2021, Monika Helene Horn (nee Scharlach), late of Regina, Saskatchewan, passed away at the age of 79 years after a 7 month battle with cancer.  Monika was predeceased by her husband Ed; and her parents Erwin and Margaret.  She is survived by her daughter Michele (Gordon) Myrah; and her grandchildren Matthew and Rachel Myrah. 

Monika was born in her beloved Vienna, Austria in 1942 and arrived in Regina as a teenager with her parents.  A talented ballet dancer while living in Vienna, her interests turned to tennis in Regina where she won many tournaments.  This love for tennis would provide her much enjoyment and topics for conversation in recent years.

She was a hardworking, successful Royal Banker who progressed in the bank and was recognized with promotions and awards. Monika and her family were so very proud of her achievements at a time when it wasn't always easy for women to get ahead. This conviction that women could do anything served as a great role model for her daughter.

Monika passed down her love of dance to her daughter and granddaughter. She was known to many as a "dance mom" when her daughter danced at the Martin School of Dancing in Regina. More recently she would be the "sparkliest grandma" at her granddaughter Rachel's dance competitions. Monika loved her opportunities to chaperone baton twirling trips for the Optimist Buffalo Gals trips to California, Seattle, and Washington DC. We were fortunate that she could join us every spring in Ontario for Rachel’s dance competition season along with trips to Florida and New York.

Monika and Ed loved travelling, took many trips and cruises together, and had many adventures. While their adventures ended too soon when Ed died 20 years ago, we enjoyed many mother/daughter cruises and holidays - the Caribbean, Danube River, Maritimes, Acapulco, Dominican Republic to name a few - and road trips around Ontario. Our favourite trip together was when we stayed in her beloved home town of Vienna, Austria in 2017, staying in an Airbnb on the street she lived on. The Blue Danube Waltz and the song Edelweiss from Sound of Music were favourites and always brought her fond memories of Austria.  One of her more memorable trips was taking her grandson Matthew to the West Edmonton Mall, spoiling him all the way, when he was very young. When she would come to visit and take care of the grandchildren, there was always marshmallows and chocolate for breakfast, her prerogative as a grandmother, she would explain.  Monika was so proud of Matthew and Rachel, watching them grow up into fine young adults.

She loved musicals and of course the ballet, something that she passed on to her family.  More recently Monika had taken up line dancing and, relying on her prior tennis talent, she was a local seniors table tennis champion. During these activities she met Walter Dunn who became a close friend.  Monika loved to swim, starting with the pool at her parents’ house, then her own house and in the ocean waves on one of her many beach holidays. She met many new friends at the Wascana Pool enjoying the water and sunshine.

Her family is so grateful to these angels in her life - her close friend Walter and the many nurses from Palliative Home Care and the Palliative ward at the Pasqua Hospital - for being with her and providing such loving care to her during this difficult time.  We cannot thank you enough. 

Auf Wiedersehen and sweet dreams Monika, mom, grandma.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Interment at Riverside Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to Regina Palliative Care Inc., 4F – 4101 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, SK S4T 1A5 or to the Allan Blair Cancer Centre, c/o SK Cancer Agency, 200 – 4545 Parliament Avenue, Regina, SK, S4W 0G3.