Olive Elise Petrou

Many Happy Returns of the Day. A sentiment that promises continued replenishment of happy moments and future birthdays to come. Not a sentiment usually befitting ones demise. However, every year on either mine or one of my siblings birthdays, my mother would strive to be the first to utter that sentiment to us. “Many Happy Returns of The Day”. For most of my life, it was a mere melody that was accompanied by her soft, sing song, Welsh accent and if in her company, we benefited from her bright eyes and beautiful smile. The specialness of the day had been fulfilled with this simple act. If on any one of our birthdays, her sentiments failed to arrive within hours of ones rising from slumber, then that day could not truly commence. Her voice and sentiments of happy, well wishes and longevity were required to be heard for all to be right with ones world.

My mum, through her life, though littered with an extra share of trials and tribulations, maintained and presented a positive, loving air. She listened more than she spoke and was giving, honest and patient. She enjoyed her lifetime of happy moments many times over and her days commemorating her birth were plentiful as she was one month shy of her 90th birthday.

It is strange to think that from the moment we take our first breath, we become one breath closer to our demise. The challenge it seems, is not living, that comes easy enough with breathing, but to find God and his grace amidst all that life throws at us. My mum never wavered from this challenge for herself nor us children. Top priority for her was to show us towards our Father in Heaven, be thankful for our blessings (say grace) and say our prayers. We were continually reminded of this at the end of any phone conversation. “Take your vitamins” and “Say your prayers!”.

In The Beginning

Olive Elise Jarvis, took her first breath on a chilly, fall day in 1933, in Cardiff Wales during the second World War. She lived on Davis Street in Adamsdown near the docks in a row house with no central heating and an out house down the back of the yard.

The eldest of seven siblings, my mum was soon to be more than just “big sister”. She would eventually take on the role of nanny, teacher and physical defender of her siblings against bullies of the neighbourhood. Characteristics that she would bestow on her own children later in life. She was taken out of grade school at an early age by her mother, and fulfilled her duties around the house and helped care for her siblings. Their ages ranged more than 15 years between them.

In her early years, she showed promise as an artist and received a scholarship to a local art college where she excelled. She was guided by her father to study commercial art as a trade though her true love was fine art and figures. She made friends quickly with one girl in particular, Jacqueline, who approached her and asked, “Do you want to be friends?”. This sealed their union in friendship for the rest of their lives where neither time nor distance would dilute their special bond.

One day, a local businessman arrived at the art college. He was head-hunting for talent for a local jewellery manufacturing company. My mother’s instructor put her forward for the position which she accepted. She began her role as jewellery designer for the Welsh company where she worked from a closet-like space designing jewellery and creating detailed construction drawings for the manufacturing department to work from.

As was her way, she never bragged nor highlighted any of her accolades but would rather downplay any achievement, recognition or compliment. However, there was an occasion that she did, though modestly, recount.

Her designs had been displayed in London, England at one of the annual jewellery trade shows. There, they caught the eye of a London designer by the name of Norman Hartnell. He was one of the designers for British royalty and one of Queen Elizabeth’s personal designers. He would later go on to design the coronation gown for Queen Elizabeth. However, not wanting to be disrespectful to her current employer as well as feeling a deep sense of devotion to her job, my mum turned down the offer to work in London and further her career there. She remained in Cardiff working for the Welsh jewellery manufacturer for a few more years.

In 1954, her family arranged tp pack up and relocate overseas to Canada. My mum did not want to leave Wales. She begged her parents to let her stay on to continue her life in Cardiff. But it was not to be. She was duty bound with possibly a touch of guilt to keep the family together. Soon the entire family was loaded on board a commercial ship bound for Canada.

In Canada, Birks Jewellers on St. Catherine Street in downtown Montreal became her new employer. She and her sister, Jeannette would make the daily walk to work across the Jacque Cartier bridge to the downtown core in the middle of Quebec’s bitterly cold winters.

Soon came marriage and with it, six children each a year apart in age. She did continue her painting mainly - figures, as well as a new form of collage art that I believe she invented out of coloured paper and paper doilies. However, many of her paintings were commissioned out. One painting I recall was commissioned by Celine Dion’s family. Few pieces would grace the walls of our basement apartment where we lived.

Her life was a struggle during these times. Becoming a single parent, raising six children while working full time. It was truly daunting. Though I recall the apartment was always clean and tidy and we had food on the table. She would dress tastefully, in knee length skirt, slips, nylons and classic, medium healed shoes and always wore clip earrings and lipstick. Her long auburn hair was usually coiled neatly onto the top of her head. Nothing fancy but very proper and feminine in her attire. I would at times, advise those who did not know her very well, “Don’t let the skirt and sensible shoes fool you”. My mum was tough as nails if she needed to be.

She moved out of the area in the mid 70’s and later remarried. She slowly made her way into the business world with her new husband-Angelos. Still an artist at heart, aside from the business and keeping house she would continue her paintings. She travelled and moved often living in various Ontario cities, brief journeys to the United States and British Columbia. She eventually fulfilled a dream of hers to live by the sea when her and Angelos moved across Canada to Vancouver Island and the City of Victoria. There she made a home at Clover Point and made new friends and neighbours (Ruth, Mavis, Margo, Allan Saunders) to name a few. She painted from her art room overlooking the Pacific Ocean facing the rising sun. During those years, she was able to create some wonderful paintings. Her later works centred around spirituality, God’s Angels and faith, she did find inspiration to paint fantasy art as well.

Upon Angelos’ demise in 2006, she moved to the mainland (Vancouver). There she easily made new friends and neighbours, Pauline and Pat among them. She travelled extensively with her daughter Susan who became full-time care giver. They enjoyed finding adventure during their journeys. She crossed Canada by car four times in her life, had many adventures and found many interesting villages and art galleries along the way.

My mum spent most of her later years shared between Vancouver and Montreal. She enjoyed spending time with her siblings and children in both cities, reading, singing, art, even starting a new form of art with clay and finding new places to explore with Susan.

She was one month shy of her 90th birthday when she left this planet.

She is survived by her siblings: David, James, Christine, Lillette and Rose, her children: Andrew, Leslie, Stephen, Jennifer, Jacqueline and Susan, her grand children: Sarah, Leah, Rachel, Stevie Jr. and Anthony and her great grand child: Olivia.

We Love You.

Be seeing you.

One of her favorite hymns: How Great Thou Art

https://youtu.be/tXQpDDcrN-w?feature=shared

Revelations 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: year, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labours: and their works do follow them.

Isaiah 40

“They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not, weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Psalm 147:3

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy can be shared with the family in the condolences section below.

The arrangements entrusted to the care of First Memorial Funeral Services, 1155 Fort Street, Victoria, British Columbia. V8V 3K9 Phone 250-384-5512