Iola Pryma

Pryma, Iola Alberta. On November 1, 2017, holding the hands of her beloved daughters, Iola Pryma left this earth to be with God after a long and courageous battle with MAC. She was loved and adored by her daughters, Kristy and Kandis, sons-in-law Chad and Mike, and granddaughters Scarlett and Amelia. Born in Calgary, March 13, 1939, Iola Barks moved to southern Ontario as a young child, where she met and kept some of her dearest friends. At age 13 she moved to Saskatchewan, where she remained for the rest of her life. A caregiver at heart, Iola spent her early adulthood working in sanatoriums and doctors’ offices across the province, until 1971 when she married Harry Pryma and raised two daughters in the Caswell Hill neighbourhood in Saskatoon. The ultimate stay-at-home mom, Iola was known to all the neighbourhood kids as a safe haven with a ready hug, a shoulder to cry on, and a cookie. A loyal friend, Iola built bonds to last, cherishing friendships that have spanned many decades. Her close sisterhood of friends - Marlene, Sherry, Donna, Isabelle and Dolores - have faithfully met for coffee and cake at least once a month without fail since the mid-1970s, and friends who lived further away, like Rosalee, Carol, Vera, and Norma, shared long phone conversations with great frequency. Iola found joy in simple pleasures. An avid reader and supporter of the Saskatoon Public Library, she read over 900 books in the last three years alone. She cherished all animals, but especially her faithful dog Casey, who kept her company after the death of Harry in 2003. But above all, Iola loved her children and her grandchildren. Iola was a proud and loving grandma, who could talk anyone’s ear off about Scarlett and Amelia and their accomplishments. They will miss her with all of their hearts. We all will. Iola spent her last weeks in Palliative Care at St. Paul’s Hospital where the whole team in the unit treated her with absolute dignity and compassion. Her family could not be more thankful for the stellar care she received. We would also like to thank Dr. Satchan Takaya and Dr. Charu Khanna for doing all they could to extend her life for as long as possible, for their kindness, and for going above and beyond for her.