Edith - to family and friends she was always Deed - passed away peacefully Monday, August 16, 2021 at Henley House, St. Catharines where she had stayed for the past few months. We like to think that she is singing with Elvis, of whom she was a life-long fan. She was pre-deceased by her parents James and Christine Prophet, her brothers Mert (Joan) and Jack (Marjorie) Prophet. She is survived by four nieces Fran Holden (John), Penny Bailey, Shelley Bauer (Bob), and Peggy Prophet of Indianapolis, and one nephew, Philip Prophet (Sandra). She is also survived by one great nephew, Tim Bailey and a great-great nephew, Liam as well as a great niece Jayne Kolveck (Brian).
Edith was born in St Catharines in 1924 and she was a force of nature. In her teenage years she enlisted in the Royal Canadian Airforce, Women’s Division in Hamilton and served in various roles including a stint in Ottawa where she contributed to mapping intelligence for the war effort. Her military service remained something of which she was very proud.
On her return to St Catharines she held various clerical and administrative roles including time at Drinkwater Motors and Ontario Construction. She retired from Lancaster, Brooks and Welch law firm where she left an indelible mark on the office and on the training and recruitment of numerous employees. There are many “Edith stories” that circulate still among some of the members of the firm. She was known to tell the new legal secretaries “Never let the lawyers see you cry….” And that pretty much summed up Edith’s philosophy. She was strong, determined and did not suffer fools gladly. She had a dry sense of humour and a loyal band of friends over the years who shared passions for bowling, the Blue Jays, knitting and doing crosswords by the thousands.
Edith also spent more than 35 years as a volunteer with the St Catharines General Hospital, at both the old and the new location. This work was dear to Edith’s heart and she continued in her volunteer role as long as she was able. She was exceptional in this role, because she loved telling people what to do! In addition she volunteered at the Community Care Food Bank for a number of years, where she took pleasure in helping others.
Edith had a sense of style that was reflected in her clothes, her jewellery and her cars. She was the proud owner of a 1954 bright yellow Mercury convertible - long before convertibles were stylish. That and her passion for good quality costume jewellery were hallmarks of Edith’s style and independence. Her niece Peggy ensured that her sense of style continued with clothing picked out for Edith and sent from Indianapolis with striking regularity.
She lived at home and spent years caring for her mother and then stayed on in the family home until it became too much for her to manage. Her nieces and her nephew recall trips to the Canadian National Exhibition where she managed to corral them onto rides and visits to the food vendors for an entire day - not for the faint of heart! In later years her lack of patience became apparent - she was known to ask severs in restaurants if the cook had died, when her order was not delivered within 5 to 10 minutes.
She was a character with an enduring heart of gold and she will be missed. The last few years of her life were difficult with the loss of her brother Jack and a couple of moves following a fall that meant months of hospitalization. She was unconditionally supported by numerous friends and in particular the family wants to thank Cheryl Aulbrook and Barb Bartlett for their enduring patience and assistance to Edith. With family members not being local, they were rock solid and we owe them a debt of gratitude.
A Celebration of Deed's life is being planned for the end of September. If you wish to attend, please email the family at [email protected] for the details. Please take a moment to leave the family a memory or tribute at www.hulseandenglish.com. These are always so appreciated, especially during these difficult times. Arrangements entrusted to Hulse & English Funeral Home & Chapel, 905-684-6346.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18