Obituary of Viola Curtis

VI (VIOLA) CURTIS (nee McKINNON) July 16, 1925 March 14, 2013 It is with great love and joy that we celebrate the life of this beautiful lady, and with profound sorrow that we mourn her loss and passage into eternity. Vi died as she lived, with dignity, grace and courage, surrounded by her family in her home, after a brief struggle with colon cancer. Vi was predeceased by her husband Neil (1956), parents Alex and Anne McKinnon, and sister Pearl Spooner. She is survived by her children: daughter Leslie (Doug) Mortin and their children Mike Mortin, Cath (Raul) Conde of Shanghai and Andrea (Eric) Zegarra of Ottawa, son Larry (Sue) Curtis of Calgary and their children Kathy (fiance Marcus Karpati) and Melissa (partner Mark Henderson), both of Lethbridge, and son Ken (Patti) Curtis and their children Candace (Devin) Curle and Rob Curtis. Completing the family circle are her great-grandchildren Nathan, Sahcia and Zoe Mortin, Sebastian and Leah Conde, Tyler and Cecilia Zegarra, Parker Henderson, and Hannah, Logan, Rachel and Alex Curle. She is also survived by her sister Heather (Don) Ostapak of Hyas, brother Wayne (Joan) McKinnon of Waterloo as well as many nieces, nephews and cousins and best friend forever?, Maisie Gautama of Winnipeg. Vi was born in Prince Rupert and later settled with her family in Lemberg, SK for her school years before moving to Regina for her nurses training at the Regina General Hospital. She began her nursing career working on the isolation ward at the General Hospital until her marriage and then became a stay at home mother. After the death of her husband, Vi, as a young widow, singlehandedly raised their three children while working for 35 years at the Allan Blair Memorial Clinic, with the last 32 years as Nursing Supervisor. Vi was a 60-year Roughrider season ticket holder and continued to be one of the worlds greatest fans. Then her failing vision only allowed her to follow the team on TV and radio. She joyfully relived many Hawaiian vacations with family and friends. She was an enthusiastic bridge player and belonged to many clubs where she enjoyed the camaraderie and friendship from her teammates. But her greatest pleasure was derived from her family. She enjoyed every opportunity to spend time together catching up on their busy lives and activities. The joy and fulfillment she experienced during these times was certainly mutual! Moms legacy of love touched more lives than we will ever know. At Vis request, there will be no funeral. The family invites friends to join them at a memorial celebration of this great ladys life at The Royal United Services Institute, 1660 Elphinstone Street, Regina (across from the Lawson Aquatic Centre) on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 from 4:00 p.m. 5:30 p.m. Cremation has taken place and commitment of her ashes will be held at a private family interment at a later date. As macular degeneration took its toll in her later years, Vi was so appreciative for the great assistance from the visual aids provided by the CNIB. The family wishes to express thanks to Dr. Kurtz and the staff of Unit 4D at the Pasqua Hospital. We are most grateful to Palliative Home Care for facilitating the move to take Mom home for her final days, which was her greatest wish, and the nursing staff from Life Force for the exceptional care she received. Special thanks to Dr. Sandra Rayson for her friendship, compassion and professional care as she helped ease Moms final journey. The family respectfully requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Regina Palliative Care Inc., 4F-4101 Dewdney Avenue, Regina, SK, S4T 1A5. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com Love begins in an instant, grows over time, and lasts through eternity.