Obituary of Alma Carola Korpan

ALMA CAROLA KORPAN With great sorrow, the family announces the passing of Alma Carola Korpan on Thursday, September 15, 2016 at the age of 86 years. Alma was predeceased by her husband Boris Korpan in 1990; her parents, Anders (Andrew) Johannes Mathias Vernikson Nordal and Karoline (Caroline) Rasmine Nordal (Myklebust); her siblings and siblings-in-law, Viola Ferris (Nordal), Gudmund (Millie) Nordal, Leif (Anne) Nordal, and Asbjorn Nordal. She is survived by and will be loved and missed forever by her close friend and partner Weldon Moffatt; her children, Paul (Rhonda) Korpan, Joann (Scott Smith) Korpan Smith, and James (Heather Evans) Korpan; her grandchildren, Greg (Jasmine) Korpan, Roxanne Korpan, Michelle Korpan, Jacob Korpan, Tyler Smith (Chrissy Labrash), Jimmy Smith, Jack Smith, and Samuel Korpan; great-grandchildren Reese and Emmitt Smith; her sister Phyllis Guttman (Nordal) and brother Andrew (Lillian) Nordal; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews. Alma is also survived by her daughter Crystal (Randy) Neufeld and grandchildren, Jon, Corrie, and David. Alma was born on the Nordal family farm and homestead near Bulyea, Saskatchewan on November 29, 1929. Her parents immigrated to Canada from Norway. She was raised in a largely Norwegian farming community. She attended Pengarth School, a one-room schoolhouse, during her early school years and completed her high school education in Regina. In 1951, she graduated as a Registered Nurse and worked as a nurse at the Regina General Hospital and then as a public health nurse. In nursing school, she made strong and sustained friendships. She married Boris on May 1, 1955. Alma continued to work as a nurse for a few years until the birth of their third child, then becoming a fulltime homemaker and raising four children. Alma was a hard worker and self-reliant. She and Boris built houses and cottages together. They worked to develop the potential they saw in their children, providing motivation and support. They bought and operated a laundromat as a secondary source of income to fund their children’s post-secondary education. Alma was a proud Norwegian. She used numerous Norwegian expressions to add colour and humour to conversation. In the last several months of her life, Alma could still read and translate letters written by her mother and relatives in Norway. She also accepted other cultures. When she married Boris, she embraced his family’s Ukrainian traditions. Her children were enriched by an upbringing that valued their Norwegian and Ukrainian heritages. They followed many of the traditions of both, especially those centred on food. Alma loved her family. She was unfailingly, and sometimes excessively, proud of the lives of her children and grandchildren. Until recently, Alma hosted family suppers at her house every Monday night for whoever could come, sometimes cooking for twenty people. Her children and grandchildren have many special memories of her sharp sense of humour, beautiful smile, and easy laughter; losing cribbage and card games against her; spending time together walking, cross-country skiing, sharing meals, visiting, talking about the latest crime novel she was reading, and reminiscing about family and childhood stories. Over the past 20 years, Alma formed a lasting and important relationship with her friend Weldy Moffatt. Alma and Weldy were a good team. They were able to live in the Korpan family home until this year. Together, they visited Europe several times, including her parents’ birthplace in Norway. Alma was a good listener and made others feel important and confident. She was quick to laugh and to make others laugh. Alma respected others and had much self-respect, carrying herself with elegance and style. She was strong, courageous, and resilient. Despite her physical challenges near the end of her life, Alma refused to allow her age to define her, instead referring to “old people” in the third person as if she was not one herself. Kind and gentle, she will be missed by many and loved always. Alma passed peacefully, in the hands of her family, on a warm and sunny afternoon. She was supported throughout by the excellent and compassionate care of the doctors and nurses of the Medical Surveillance Unit at the Pasqua Hospital. In lieu of flowers, donations would be gratefully directed to either the childhood church that her father and others built, Norrona Lutheran Church in Bulyea, SK, P.O. Box 505, Strasbourg, SK S0G 4V0 or Lakeview United Church, 3200 McCallum Avenue, Regina, SK S4S 0R8. Funeral Service to honour and Celebrate Alma’s Life will be held at Lakeview United Church, 3200 McCallum Avenue, Regina, SK on Friday, September 23, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. Lunch and interment to follow. To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com