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Obituary of Irene Yvette Temple
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Livestream available on Knox Metropolitan Church Facebook page
Irene Temple, late of White City, SK, passed away peacefully at home on October 27, 2021 at the age of 71. She was predeceased by her parents, Joyce and Alex Essar of Lloydminster, Cathy and Esau Temple of Norman’s Cove, Newfoundland; Brothers-in-Law Bill, Lewis and Dave Temple; step-grandson Ethan. Irene is survived by loving husband Rick; daughter Heather (Marvin); sons Ian (Chrissie) and Aaron; grandchildren Elizah-Jayne and Bella; sister Jill Whitaker (Richard) of Portugal Cove, Newfoundland; Aunt Margaret Wojcichowsky of Saskatoon; God-daughters Shanna Kanhai and Adrianne Begg; numerous nieces and nephews, cousins and relatives; the Kanhai and Begg families; special friend Kathy; as well as countless other close friends. The family would like to thank Doctors L. Blignaut and D. Brown for the many years of care and support as well as the numerous frontline homecare workers (especially those who chose to get vaccinated) who have come to her home for the past 20+ years, creating special bonds and helping to make it possible for Irene to live comfortably at home until her passing.
The love and support of all of these people allowed Irene to live a rich, meaningful and full life.
Irene enjoyed being out in the community. She was a great patron of music and the arts, a strong supporter of local talent, and was an advocate for youth, spending years teaching piano and Sunday school, being involved with community groups like the Optimist Club and volunteering at White City School. Irene enjoyed being out in nature and had a special interest in gardening and birds -- the birds at her window kept her company for many years.
Irene touched the lives of so many people. She loved people and she loved deeply. She actively appreciated and cared about others and she took the time to let them know it. Irene was a light like no other.
Fortunately for us, Mom took it upon herself to share her story so we can all have a small glimpse into her life. She had suggested that her family “pick and choose what seems important,” but it seems unnecessary to remove anything. The words following are hers:
“My parents, Alex and Joyce (Edmonds) Essar grew up in Theodore – Tuffnell area of Saskatchewan. Because of the depression in the 30’s there were no jobs for the young men so several of them went east to Ontario to look for work. It seems like the girls followed. Mom and Dad were married on November 30, 1940 in Islington, ON at the home of her cousin Hazel Austin who married Randal Perry. Soon afterwards Dad joined the Air Force and I think his first posting was to Moncton, New Brunswick. My sister Jill was born there on Nov. 29, 1943. Dad got sick there with pleurisy and ended up in the hospital. From there he went to a convalescent home in Montreal, PQ. After a year he left the Air Force, and they bought a house in Toronto. Dad did clock repairs for Eaton’s although his health was still not good. Doctors recommended that they move back to the prairie’s dryer climate. So, they headed west to Edmonton. There they operated a small import/export business and they started selling some costume jewellery.
I was born in Edmonton on April 12th 1950.
In 1954 we moved to Lloydminster, AB where my parents bought a small business on 50th Avenue. The building was shared with an electrician, Ron Ingrey. We lived in a small house on 50th Street up near Husky Road. Neighbours were John Johnson and Ron and Marge Nattress as well as several other families with lots of kids. I spent two Kindergarten years with a neighbour, Mrs. Jensen, then started Grade 1 at Winston Churchill School in 1956. The children all walked to school in those days. I walked to the store for lunch each day and after school back to the store because both Mom and Dad were there. I had a special table in the back where I could play with paper cut-outs and there was a movie theatre next door where I could go to all the shows. There didn’t seem to be any worry about a child doing things or going places by herself.
Other activities besides playing outside or at friends’ houses were the Explorers at the United Church (although my parents didn’t go to church), piano lessons and figure skating lessons. Everybody walked to and from work and activities. My parents didn’t use their car except for Sunday drives.
Grade 2 was at the Meridian School and then they opened the Martin Brown School in the west end where I went for grade 3.
In 1959 we moved to 4719-48th Street on the Saskatchewan side of town. The old High School was at the end of the block so both Jill and I went there until they opened the new Comprehensive High when I was in Grade 12. There was also a new Junior High built near us on 49th St in Saskatchewan where I went for Grades 7,8, and 9. My activities were school based, playing the piano (my teacher lived in Streamstown north of Lloydminster) and working in the store. We formed a Teen Club and I was involved in planning dances. I worked at the Drive-in theatre as a popcorn girl and I was very involved with CGIT. I took figure skating lessons for several years and very briefly took singing lessons. It was a busy, happy way to grow up although I know I complained a lot about working at the store. Other jobs included working at the gates at the summer fairs, working as a Student councillor at Canada Manpower, lots of babysitting and doing a Teen program on our local radio station. I did a lot of sewing but then, so did everybody. I was also part of a student exchange trip to Quebec in 1965.
I graduated from Grade 12 in 1968 and went to the U of S in Saskatoon that fall.
1971 was a very big year for me. I turned 21 in April then graduated from the U of S with a BA (in English, Psych and Anthropology). That summer I went to Rankin Inlet, NWT, for a class where we lived with Inuit families and learned the basics of the language. It was a wonderful experience.
The following October, with no big jobs yet, Mom suggested and financed a trip to Newfoundland to visit Jill. By that time, Jill and Dick had three small children and a brand-new baby. The day I got there I interviewed and was offered three teaching jobs. I took the job in Norman’s Cove since it was close to St. John’s and became a teacher on the condition that I took some Education classes at night. Within two weeks of arriving in Newfoundland I was in Norman’s Cove. Dick drove me to Norman’s Cove and dropped me off at the Fall Community Dance at the Lion’s Centre. There I was with my big suitcase, knowing only the school principal, who had forgotten to find me a place to live. I sat down beside a friendly lady. She took me home for the night and I ended up living with Gil and Glady Newhook for the year. I taught a remedial Grade 1 and 2 class in the north end of the basement that year.
I flew home the following summer and bought the Mazda and drove back with my friend Edna Studer who ended up teaching in Seal Cove and Andre Desautels who we dropped off in Montreal. I saw Rick in Toronto. The previous spring, Rick’s friend Ron Thorne asked his mother if I could board with them in the fall. So, I moved in with Edie and Jim Thorne in the fall of 1972. Rick lived a couple houses away.
I taught Grade 1 in 1972/73 while taking night classes in Placentia and St. John’s. I found a place to live in St. John’s so I could register full time in the fall at MUN. I attended MUN in summer and fall of 73 until graduating with a Ba(ED) in spring of 74. I lived in a very grubby bachelor suite at 180 Gower St. It was one room and I shared a bathroom with the rest of the house. It’s now a classy Bed and Breakfast as it was originally a beautiful house in the early 1900s. It was the home of a renowned St. John’s photographer named Holloway.
I taught at Norman’s Cove for one more year while Rick finished his Electrical Technology courses at the College of the North Atlantic. Then we decided to get married and move west.
So, on June 27, 1975 we were married at Bethel United Church in Norman’s Cove by Reverend Bailey. The wedding was a lot of fun but that’s another story. We went to St. Pierre and Miquelon, France, on the south coast of Newfoundland, for our honeymoon.
After the honeymoon we spent about a week in Portugal Cove and Norman’s Cove saying goodbye. We drove out west via New Hampshire where we visited Dave and Jean Nunnmaker. In Ontario, we saw brother Bill and Doreen and their 7 boys, brother Ray and Barb and their two daughters. We continued on to Foam Lake, Theodore and finally Lloydminster. From there we applied for several jobs and Rick accepted one in Regina with SaskTel. I took a couple of short-term jobs before I started teaching full time at Elsie Dorsey School in Regina. I also taught at Regent Park School. We moved to Regina in September of 1975 and moved into our apartment at #21- 4020 Robinson St. There we met Moses Kanhai and an elderly woman, Grace Cox who our children were later to call Grandma Grace. After a few years we built our house (1980 and 81) and moved to White City.
I was able to stay home after our two children were born – Heather in 1982 (July 6) and Ian in 1986 (January 31). Being parents was a great experience for both of us.
There have been several momentous experiences in my life. One was going to Newfoundland. Another was meeting Rick and knowing we would be together for a long time. Another of course was having the children. Both Heather and Ian are wonderful people, and it was so great to know them when they were small. They were the best results of our marriage.
I taught piano for a long time as well as some remedial reading at the school. I was on the White City Library Board for several years and was quite involved in setting it up at its beginning. Rick and I went to Scotland in 1982 and met Rick’s grandmother, uncles, aunts, and cousins. We were busy with the Optimist Club and did a lot of travelling. We made two trips to Optimist International Conventions. One was in San Antonio, Texas and the other in Toronto at the Royal York Hotel. We travelled extensively with the children through Alberta, Montana, Saskatchewan, and Northern Wyoming and met many wonderful people. With the children we had several trips to New Hampshire and across Canada.
My initial diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis was in 1982 when Heather was a baby. I was lucky to have a long period of remission while the children grew up but increasing difficulties made it hard to think of going back to work. Rick has been a wonderful partner and I think he’s made it possible for me to be happy and live a fairly normal life.”
All those that have had the honour of having Irene in their lives are better for having known her.
“Life is but a fragile flower, blows the wind and it is gone”
Respecting Irene’s wishes about gatherings due to COVID-19, a private service, by invitation only, will be held at Knox Metropolitan Church on November 6, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. To view the livestream of the service, please click on the link above on the day of the service. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the MS Society of Canada, 150 Albert Street, Regina, SK S4R 2N2 or a charity of your choice.
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