G. Noreen "Nonie" Rooke

G. Noreen “Nonie” Rooke died at Poseidon Personal Care Home on Good Friday, April 18, 2014.

Nonie was born July 14, 1909 in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, the second of three daughters of Walter Lawrence Robinson and Maud Lawley. In May 1910 her family immigrated to Winnipeg where she lived for the rest of her very long life. Raised in the North End, she completed her schooling there and was then employed at Eaton’s for several years until her marriage in 1934 to Robert Gordon Rooke.

Bob and Nonie moved to Fort Garry in 1937 and Nonie resided there until her move to Poseidon in 2006. She was the teacher at Pembina Kindergarten located in St. Paul’s Anglican Church and later worked with special needs children at Kinsmen, Luxton and Montrose Schools up to her retirement in1974.

As a young woman, Nonie loved canoeing and snowshoeing and recalled the Cabbage Patch near the current Wildewood Club where they would go for coffee and hot chocolate after a tramp in the woods. She also hiked along the Red River in what is now Crescent Park and remembered the hot dog stand there called Ghemsa Hut.

Nonie was a talented seamstress and she loved working at almost all handicrafts. She won many prizes at the Fort Garry Horticultural Society Fair each year. She taught youngsters how to make hand puppets at the Wildwood Community Club. With her own younger children, she put on puppet shows around Winnipeg with an entourage of some 35 home made puppets. She also led a girls’ group at St. Paul’s Anglican Church and worked in their Nearly New Shop.

After her children left home, Nonie became the proprietor of Nonie’s Doll Hospital where she enjoyed repairing and restoring dolls. She had a collection about 650 dolls from all over the world.

Nonie became a widow in 1956 when her husband Bob died suddenly, leaving her with three teenagers and an older daughter. She is survived by her children, Kathy Stokes (Bob) and Betty Atkinson (Barrie) both of Winnipeg, Wally (Heather Peters) of Calgary, and Tom (Linda) of Medicine Hat. There are eight grandchildren: Tom, Richard (Angie), Duncan (Maureen) Stokes, Robin (Ian) Rooke- Hanke, Bob Atkinson, Elizabeth Atkinson(Mike Perkins), Sean Rooke (Bernie), Shannon Rooke (Christopher Kuntz). There are nine great grandchildren: Tyler, Emmy, Daniel, Adam and Lauren Stokes, Stephanie and Samantha Rooke- Hanke, Andrew and Carolyn Atkinson. Also surviving are numerous nieces and nephews as well as Shirley Wilding and Shirley Rooke. She was predeceased by her sisters Marjorie Gow and Joan Lewis.

As per Nonie’s wishes, cremation has taken place and a memorial service will be held at a later date.

Donations in Nonie’s memory may be made to The Winnipeg Humane Society or a charity of your choice.

The family expresses its grateful thanks to the staff of the 3rd floor at Poseidon Home for the excellent care they have given Nonie for more than seven years.