Obituary of Sylvia Frances Burgess

SYLVIA FRANCES BURGESS Sylvia Frances Burgess passed away peacefully on Friday, February 27, 2015, surrounded by the love of her family. Sylvia was predeceased by her husband Ernie; her twin sister Hannah; and eleven brothers and sisters. She is survived by her four children; their spouses and ten grandchildren: Gordon (Penny: Brad, Jennifer, Riley Kerri,); Diane Pahl (Lorne: Kim, Stacey); Spencer (Laurie: Rhett, Bree); Pam McGregor (Neil: Christine, Paul). She is also survived by eleven great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Born in Vancouver, BC on December 31, 1923, Sylvia spent most of her childhood in Woodfibre, BC where she developed a lifelong love of the mountains and the ocean. However, this love was overshadowed when, as a beautiful young woman, she met and fell in love with a handsome young Air Force man named Ernie Burgess. She left the mountains behind and moved to the Prairies with Ernie to settle in Regina where they created a wonderful life. They raised their children together without an abundance of money, but definitely with an abundance of love. Gardening, swimming, golfing, curling, playing cards, knitting, reading, and cheering on the Roughriders were among some of Sylvia’s favourite activities. She also considered it to be a privilege to walk to the General Hospital a couple days a week to volunteer. But above all, she cherished family gatherings, particularly at Christmas time. Her turkey dinners and ‘from scratch’ baking will be greatly missed. The Family extends heartfelt gratitude to Sonia and the staff at Wascana Heights Personal Care Home for the loving care given to our Mother for the past three years. A Celebration of Sylvia’s life will be held at Speers Funeral Chapel, 2136 College Avenue, Regina, SK on Saturday, March 7, 2015 at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one’s choice.