Obituary of Ruth June Ilsley

RUTH JUNE ILSLEY Ruth June Ilsley passed away peacefully on Monday, April 8, 2013 at Regina Wascana Grace Hospice in Regina, SK. She will be dearly missed by her son David (Vera) of Calgary; daughter Jean (Al) Thibeault of Regina; grandchildren Heather, Robert (Michelle) and Susan (Felipe Giraldo Mejia), Marc and Sara Thibeault; great-grandchildren Emma and Nolan Ilsley; sister Marge (Fred) Olson; sisters-in-law Vera Shurvin, Phyllis Ilsley, Elaine (Alex) Cathcart and Joan Ilsley; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She was predeceased by her husband Bert and parents Harry and Alison Olsen. Ruth was born in Winnipeg on May 22, 1923 and grew up in CN Railway stations in southern Manitoba and northwestern Ontario. Following high school in Fort Frances, Ontario, and a year at Success Business College in Winnipeg, she returned home to work across the border in the Chemical Lab office of the International Falls, Minnesota paper mill. She met Bert Ilsley, her husband of 57 years, after he was posted to the Canadian Bank of Commerce in Fort Frances. They were married in 1950 and Ruth moved to Saskatchewan where they lived in several towns throughout the province before their final move to Regina in 1974. Every community was a new adventure and she made lasting friends in each one. Ruth enjoyed the fellowship that came from involvement with various local organizations such as the Legion Auxiliary, Hospital Auxiliary, UCW, Curling Club and especially her beloved Order of the Eastern Star. She joined the OES in 1949, was Worthy Matron at Humboldt Chapter #5 in 1971 and was proud to be a life member of Regina Chapter #7, at the time of her death. She also very much enjoyed her library career, initially in the Humboldt branch of Wapiti Regional Library and then for 13 years at the Regina Public Library until her retirement in 1987. She started in RPL in Lending but found her years at the Reference Desk most interesting. A Memorial Service to honor Ruths life will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Monday, April 22, 2013 at 1:00 p.m. Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations may be made to the WaWa Shrine Patient Transportation Fund, 2065 Hamilton Street, Regina, SK, S4P 2E1 or to Regina Wascana Grace Hospice, 50 Angus Road, Regina, SK, S4R 8P6. The family would like to thank the doctors and nurses at Regina Wascana Grace Hospice who made her last days comfortable and the staff and residents at Marian Chateau where she had resided for the last seven years for their care and friendship. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com