Sabia Maria Curran

The North Shore Hospice in North Vancouver, at the age of 54.

Sabia, who most of us called Sabie or Sabs, grew up in Calgary Alberta with her parents William and Lavinia and sisters,

Sarah and Sibyl. She was outgoing and friendly from the start. She came home from her first day of kindergarten and

announced, “I made a new friend”. And, while in palliative care, she struck up a friendship with the man in the next bed.

They were the same age and kept each other company sharing stories, including some about misspent evenings in the

North Vancouver social scene. Their friendship reminded us of the possibility for laughter and connection even in hard

times. From the beginning to the end, Sabie’s genuine warmth and humour joined her life to others in ways that seem

impossible for most of us to imagine.

Sabs was the middle child, and even when she was only a toddler herself, she would strap her little sister Sibyl to the

sled and pull her around their Calgary neighborhood. Though only a year older than Sibyl, she was the consummate big

sister who grew to become the best friend a sister could have. Sabs and Sibyl were like two peas in a pod. They bought

their first house together in Calgary, took trips together and laughed at silly things incessantly. When Sibyl moved to the

UK, they would spend hours on the phone together on weekends and would often say “I spent the day with Sibyl” when

asked what she did on the weekend. Sibyl moved to Nanaimo a few years ago, and the sisters picked up where they had

left off, spending time with each other and their children. Only Covid managed to slow their visits. Sabie adored her

nephew William, who she considered a Tech Wizard, and any time she was struggling with her phone, her computer or

anything with an electrical cord, she would ask if William could fix it. William thought Sabie was hilarious and would

laugh until it hurt, having inherited the same love of silly observational humour Sabie was famous for.

She was also very close to her big sister. Sarah moved with her husband Jim to North Vancouver in 1991. Sabia came out

for a visit not long after that and just never went home. She fell in love with North Vancouver and found meaningful

work in admin at the North Shore Association for the Mentally Handicapped. Sabia was there for the birth of her niece

Katie and was the first to hold her. They remained close even when Sarah Jim and Katie moved back to Calgary. Sabia

was Katie’s shopping sensei, passing on the mysterious ability to find the most implausibly perfect item in any store,

whether it is a thrift shop bin or a rack in a high-end clothing store. Sabs did not allow Sarah’s husband Jim to be a

bystander to the sisterhood. She loved going for a ride along with Jim in his police cruiser, witnessing a side of North

Vancouver she would otherwise never see. Sabie was so immensely proud of Jim’s accomplishments as a police

constable, his promotion to sergeant, and later, his career teaching new recruits.

The first time Sarah came out to visit after Sabie’s diagnosis, she arrived with a lengthy list of supplements and new age

healing practices. Sabie made it clear that she would be navigating her illness on her own terms. Sab’s affable ways

made it easy to forget that she was indeed a woman with her own mind and she was capable of great determination

that informed her approach to the most important aspects of her life. She worked as long as she was able. She ate

butter chicken as long as her body allowed. She shopped as long as her energy lasted.

Above all else, Sabia was steadfast in her loyalty and love for her children. Trinity and Curran were the centre of her life

and the lynchpin to every dream and decision in her life. The three of them were so close, and the hugs and kisses were

always plentiful. Sabie was fascinated with every single thing her children did and felt such pride in all their endeavours.

She was amazed by them, often talking about Trinity’s keen interest in helping others, and her role as a leader in school.

Sabie relied on Trinity for help with day-to-day tasks during her declining health, and Trinity met each new responsibility

with grace, never wavering in her respect and love for her mom. She was company, entertainment, help and sanctuary

while Sable found herself progressively less able to tend to the household, or her own needs. Trin put aspects of her

own life aside to spend time with her mom and to care for her. Curran and Sabie would watch TV together. He would

entertain her by talking about his day and his basketball triumphs. He was always willing to give Sabie a top quality

snuggle anytime she needed one. He responded to Sabie’s illness by challenging himself to become more independent,

to contribute to the running of the household and by keeping himself on track with school. Trinity and Curran visited

Sabie in palliative care and in the hospice, always managing to make her forget her illness for a while, as they spent time

together as a family, like they always had.

Sabie’s children are so young to have lost their mother, Trinity is eighteen and Curran is fourteen. But they have each

other, and the support of family and friends. They will cherish memories of shopping trips, favorite take out food places,

holidays at Harrison Hot springs, over the top holiday decorating and a once in a lifetime trip to Kauai which Sabie spoke

of often as the most amazing holiday they had together.

She was blessed with a sincere interest and affection for people and had an uncanny ability for showing up at the perfect

time to sit with a friend or even a stranger who just needed a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen. It’s true that Sabs

made friends wherever she went, but she also held her old friends close, many she’d known for decades. And in a busy

life, as so often happens, good friends can lose touch, yet during her year of illness many of her old friends got back in

touch, visited her, supported her and reconnected in beautiful ways, as though no time had passed. The family owes a

debt of gratitude to her friend Kristi Merilees, who dedicated her time and effort to Sabie’s care, comfort and wellbeing

through the toughest parts of Sab’s illness. She visited her every day at home, hospital and hospice. She supported

Sabie, advocated for her and provided care that demonstrated her deep respect and love for Sabie. Best of all, Even

during the worst parts of Sab’s illness, Kristi never lost sight of the effervescent, cheeky woman Sabs had always been.

Sabie’s friends agree that she was one of the funniest people they had ever met. She could make a joke out of anything.

Sometimes irreverent, sometimes inspired, her humour was unmatched. Her work colleagues weren’t spared her salty

wit, and she would push a joke as far as the circumstances allowed, and then just a little further. Since her passing, many

friends and workmates have reached out to tell their own stories about Sabie’s sense of humour, but they have also

shared stories of her loyalty and generosity of time, knowledge and spirit.

Sabia finished her working life in her dream job as the Administrative Assistant for West Vancouver Fire and Rescue at

Hall #1. And, with true Sabie flair, she passed from this world peacefully surrounded by her fire family, who had come to

visit her in hospice. She couldn’t have planned a better parting. She loved her job at Fire and Rescue, quite especially

because of the deep respect and affection she had for all her work colleagues. It was her perfect job- bringing her many

years of experience in office administration to the service of the community, in support of people she treasured so

much.

Sabia loved her time as the Executive Assistant to Mike Smith, with whom she worked for many years while he was

Mayor of West Vancouver. She built relationships with community members, kept a shocking amount of information in

her head at any given time, and was one of Mike Smith’s biggest fans. They were some of the happiest years of her

working life. Prior to that, she was privileged to make a positive contribution through her roles as Executive Assistant to

the Chief Administrative Officer and Administrative Assistant to the Director of Parks in West Vancouver.

The world was better with Sabie in it, just as any given moment was better with her in it: a birthday party, a bus ride, a

workplace, a line up in the grocery store… anywhere, any time was better when Sabie was there.

Leave your sadness at the door, bring your memories, and celebrate the life of Sabia Curran. Join us at the West Vancouver Legion to share your best memories and toast this fabulous, strong woman. Beverages and light snacks will be served.

Friday April 29 4-7pm. Royal Canadian Legion, 2nd floor. 580 - 18th St West Vancouver.