Gwen Staton

Our mom, Vera Gwendolyn Staton (nee: Alguire) passed away peacefully today. She would have been 93 next Sunday. Gwen (or “Gwennie” to her Ontario family), was born on August 17, 1932 in Landsdowne, Ontario.

After high school she trained as a nurse at Brockville General Hospital and also worked at Kingston General. Mom worked in public health, driving around to nurse people in their homes. At one point she broke her back skiing in New York and was in a half-body cast with her arms stuck out to her sides. She had her neighbour put her car key onto a long stick so that she was able to start the car and because cars in those days had such huge steering wheels she was able to continue to drive around and see her patients! In the early 1960s she set off around the world and made it as far as Chilliwack, BC, where she met and married our dad, Bill Staton.

In 1969 they left Chilliwack for Victoria, BC, where Dad ran a photo finishing business (pre-digital!) and Mom raised Sue and I before eventually returning to work as a nurse in extended care. In the manner of women of her generation, Mom “kept a good house” for her family. (I remember being shocked when offered a store-bought cookie at a friend’s house!) You could have eaten off the floor in her kitchen at any point in time! She enjoyed quilting and spent a lot of time with her “quilting ladies”. Sue and I both have some of her beautiful creations now.

Mom took us to the library weekly, instilling a love of reading that we still have. I remember her reading “All Creatures Great and Small” books and laughing aloud so that we thought she’d choke! She was a great seamstress and taught us to sew our own clothing. She was also a great bargain hunter and, to this day, I can’t pass by a sale rack without looking!

They were both very involved in Emmanuel Baptist Church, attended services and socialized with a group of people from their bible study group.

Mom and Dad had always had a love of the Parksville area and eventually moved to Qualicum where they spent time with the congregation of Knox United Church, walked on the beach and Mom continued to quilt.

Later in life Mom and Dad were able to fulfill Mom’s wish to “see the world” as they did many trips to places like Greece, Dubrovnik and other parts of Europe.

In 2013 Mom and Dad sold the house in Qualicum and moved in to assisted living at Casa Loma in Courtenay. Eventually they were each moved into long term care where Mom lived from 2018 until her death. As her dementia progressed she became less aware of the world around her and hadn’t spoken in a few months when she passed. She had also lost her mobility.

Mom was predeceased by her brother, Merrill. She is survived by her sisters Melba and Naida in Ontario, and by her daughters Cindy (Roland) and Sue (Michael), and by her grandson,

Jamie.