Grace M. Porter

Marion Grace Porter died quietly on the evening of June 9, 2013 in Regina encircled by children and grandchildren. Coming up on her 94th year, and two weeks before her death, she was living independently, and had gone out for lunch with her girls. That same day she entered hospital for a simple procedure, developed complications and suffered a stroke in the end.

Grace was predeceased by her husband (1998), her sister Norma Dunsmore Stedman(2001), her brother Frederick Borden Dunsmore (1959), her mother Henrietta Helena Barber Dunsmore, her father Frederick Charles Dunsmore, and father-in-law Thomas Porter (1952). She lost her son-in-law James (Jim) Hill (1998); five sisters-in-law: Florence (Flo) Porter Hall, Georgia Dunsmore, Winnifred (Winnie) Porter, Etta Porter, and Claire Porter; four brothers-in-law: Tommy Porter, Neil Porter, George Porter, and Robert (Bob) Stedman; as well as several nephews, nieces, and cousins having predeceased her.

Marion Grace Dunsmore was born on December 16, 1919 on the family farm in the Perth district north of Rocanville, SK. She attended the nearby Perth country school through grade 8. She then moved to live with her sister at Kelso, SK for her final years of schooling, with Norma being her teacher. Grace took a business course at Moosomin Collegiate, although her acquaintance-cum-romance with Hubert Porter took her back to Kelso, and her marriage on November 25, 1939.

Living beyond 90 years, anyone wanting to showcase a lifetime’s highlights finds an intimidating task. Exclusively, Grace’s family would have been her proudest highlight and joy; her husband Hubert, her children Chuck and his wife Sandy, Linda Dunsmore-Porter, Sandra Hill, Monica Doucette and husband Doug, as well as her collection of wonderful Grandkids (Catherine (Katy) Grace Dunsmore Porter, Andrew Hill and Chris VanAlstine Hill, Stuart Hill, Chris Hill and Tanya McLeod Hill, Derek Porter and Stella Salido Porter, Jason Porter and Kellie Templeton, Ryan and Kim Varjassy. Shannon Varjassy and Bill Hirsch.; and precious Great-Grandkids (Leith Porter Micah Porter, Jaylon Porter, Sarah Hill, Noah Hill Gage Hirsch and Jorden Varjassy)

Aside from family duties and decades of volunteer and charitable work in many communities, her years of employment, her friendships the call of planes, trains, and automobiles all proved to be memory-makers. Whether camping, road trips and vacations; a junket to Brazil; searching out Hubert’s roots among the cobblestone streets, the row houses, and landmarks of ancestors in England Scotland and Ireland; the visits from Vancouver Island to Peggy’s Cove and stops in between; Moose jaw, Montreal, Ottawa for tulip season, or Washington for the blooming of the cherry trees, Grace was always up for an adventure.

Grace liked to be a part of the action. She was out doing her weekly shopping - 3 bananas, 1 large tomato, bread and a litre of milk- two weeks before she died. Her life seemed full - not in terms of large, flamboyant moments, not moments of fame and fortune (although she liked to report her Bingo winnings, a whopping $2.50 haul), but ordinary moments like ordinary people with ordinary lives. She liked nice clothes, doing the make-up thing, and rings. Within that ordinary framework of ‘ordinary-ness’, she managed to be amiable, respected and special to many, many people.

A celebration of Grace’s life is planned for Monday June 17, 2013 at 2:00 PM Lee Funeral Home, 3101 Dewdney Ave. Regina. Family burial at a later time, Meridian Cemetery, Wawota SK. Lunch and refreshments following service.

. ..Nothing lofty, grandiose, pretentious.