Loretta Jean Farmer

It is with our deepest sorrow that we announce the passing of our mother , Loretta (Lori) Jean Farmer (nee Eddy), on August 21st, 2025. Though her final years were marked by the challenges of Alzheimer's, Lori’s spirit of kindness, dignity, and her unshakable love for family shone through until the very end.

Lori is survived by her children, Nancy (Rick), Teresa (Scott), Douglas (Susan), nine grandchildren, Desiree (Shawn), Bryanna (Mike), Stephan (Vanessa), (Douglas and Susan’s) Andie, Lesley, Owen, Jeffrey, Joshua, Katy; and six great-grandchildren, Keaton, Aliyah, Mya, Scarlett, Reid, Levi and Charlie. She is also survived by two brothers, Maxwell (Marilyn) and Roger (Glenda), sister-in-law Fran and extensive families.

She was born on July 25th, 1939, in Kincaid Saskatchewan, to Lee and Clara Eddy (West). She is predeceased by both parents and three of her five brothers, Lionel, Maynard and Donald. Lori grew up on farm at Eyebrow, SK, in the forties and fifties, which instilled the gruelling work ethic she passed on to her children. She left her formal schooling (Eyebrow school) after grade 11 to briefly work as a telephone operator in Oxbow Saskatchewan. She then married, divorced, and raised her three children moving across the prairies from Moose Jaw to Calgary and finally Kamloops BC.

Lori did not have an easy path, but she never gave up. She continuously pushed herself to better the lives of her three children. Despite the challenges, she had a heart full of warmth and achieved much in her life

Her passions included her love of gardening, fruit trees, rose bushes, hummingbirds and the endless number of gnomes strewn around her yard. She found joy in sharing meals with family and friends, especially those Sunday roast beef feasts that were a tradition for many years. Her volunteering endeavours were a major part of her life post-retirement – the Overlander Care facility and the Kamloops Blazers, to name two.

As Alzheimer's began to take a toll on her vigorous and active life, her generosity and kindness continued to define her legacy. Her journey with the disease became a testament to her inner strength and the deep love that connected her to her family. The persistent air of stubbornness ingrained in her personality persisted into the later stages of the disease.

She loved canning, whether it was tomatoes, peaches, pickles, beef, or salmon; she would spend hours of backbreaking effort to can these treats for her family. She loved the Kamloops daily news and all the flyers included. She loved flannel pyjamas and would be over-joyed with new sets on special occasions. She loved the Saskatchewan Roughriders and idolized the running back George Reed. She loved curling and would have it blaring on the TV, even if she was not watching it. She loved the Kamloops Blazers and was a loyal season ticket holder for countless years. She loved country music by the likes of Conway Twitty, Freddie Fender, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins, to name a few. Our childhood was mired in country guitar twanging and soulful melodies. Oh, we almost forgot her love of the timeless inspirational compositions by Herb Albert and his Tijuana Brass and Tom Jones.

She loved her dog Max, her precious Shih Tzu puppy, more than just about anything in her life - “He’s such a good boy”. Some days we would think that she loved him more than her family. Max was with her until Lori was admitted into the Hamlets.

Lori devoted her life to making her family’s lives as full as she was physically and mentally able to do so.

The family will hold a small gathering and celebration of life at a later date. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s society of British Columbia at the following link, One-time Gift - Alzheimer Society of British Columbia. They would also be grateful if you hold your loved ones close and share a memory of Lori together.

She will be missed dearly.

We would also like to share a heartfelt thank-you to all the staff, nurses, and aides at the Hamlets care facility in Kamloops. Their kindness and dedicated care over the 5 years of Lori’s residence was received with gratitude from the family but it also displayed the level of commitment of the organization. They provided the same level of compassion toward the residents as their families would expect. Thank-you Hamlets.

Celebration of Loretta’s Life will be held on Friday, September 26, at 3:00 p.m. at the Coast Hotel & Conference Centre (1250 Rogers Way, Kamloops, BC V1S 1N5).