Sheila Margaret Kathleen Thirsk

Sheila Margaret Kathleen Thirsk passed away on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the age of 91. She was the youngest of 10 children born to Rita (McDonald) and Malcolm Moffatt of Bethune, SK. and she was the last remaining.

Sheila grew up on a farm in rural Saskatchewan and due to numerous hardships, including the loss of her father when she was four and seeing five brothers leave to fight in WWII, she had to grow up at a very young age. She carried her love of the farm and her love of family with her throughout her life.

Sheila married Jack Harris in 1951, and they started their life in Saskatoon, moving many times to smaller communities throughout Saskatchewan over the next ten years as Jack’s work demanded. Over the course of three decades, they were blessed with six children, Cliff, Valery, Judy, Cathleen, Gord and Jacquie.

During this time, Sheila took great pride in establishing a home for her large family. Her home was always spotless, her freezer filled with baking, and her children always dressed to suit the occasion.

When settled in Saskatoon, Sheila became actively involved in Kinettes, working alongside Jack at their many Kinsmen functions. She was a member, and eventually president of the ACW at Christ Anglican Church. Her faith would be something that sustained her through difficult times. She found joy in acts of service, was the first to step up for anyone in need and lent a constant compassionate ear.

After the birth of her last child, Sheila felt it was time to rejoin the workforce. She obtained a job at Mappins Jeweler's in the Midtown Plaza and spent possibly the two most fulfilling years of her life working there. Sheila was very good at her job, and her employers seldom missed an opportunity to praise her work. Although it was short-lived, she cherished that time tremendously and always appreciated beautiful jewelry.

In 1982 Sheila and Jack divorced. Over the next few years, she tirelessly worked in a variety of roles, including a Resident Manager, a painter, a grocery store clerk and a housecleaner before making the decision to move to Lanigan to be closer to family. Here, she met Jack Thirsk and they married in 1990. After Jack passed away, mom spent the next few summers working at Waskesiu. As always, she gave 110% to the job and loved living and working in such beautiful surroundings.

In 2004, Sheila returned to Saskatoon to spend her retirement years close to most of her grandchildren. She loved babies and was a tremendous help to each of her children whenever a new baby came along. Sheila leaves behind a legacy of 11 grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Although Sheila never had the opportunity to attend post-secondary school, she was an avid reader and lifelong learner. Macular degeneration robbed mom of her eyesight and Alzheimer's robbed her of her memory, but she seldom complained. She recognized people by their voices and was always happy to have company drop in.

Towards the end, when Alzheimer's had taken firm control, mom would speak of her own mother and siblings and how much she missed them. We take comfort in the hope that they are together again, catching up on all those lost years.

Her family would like to thank the staff at Parkridge Centre for taking such good care of Sheila. Yours is not an easy job and we are sincerely grateful.

As per Sheila’s wishes, immediate family will lay her to rest at the town of her birth alongside her parents. No public funeral will be held.