Terry Parkin

The day before we lost her, I said, “You did good, mom”, and she smiled and said, “I did”. She was an incredible woman, who found ways to navigate all the “can’t be done” scenarios in her life.

Widowed at the age of 23, and a mom to Ginny and me (i.e., Cindy), we were only two and three then, she embarked upon a life that kept her putting one foot in front of the other, building her skills through night school classes, work experience, and roles in volunteerism that improved her work roles and increased the family income, as our sole provider. It was a time when no social assistance was offered to widows. She could have fostered us out, but she wouldn’t think of it. Mom said, “She and dad decided to have children, and she was now responsible for their commitment.” Not once did mom lose this focus, it was her motivation, and we loved her for it.

To summarize her accomplishments:

• In business she went from the secretarial pool at Auto Marine Electric to become the Financial Controller at Downtown Toyota, was the first female to sit on the Automotive Retailers Association (ARA) in the role of Treasurer, and was recognize by the Canadian Motor Industries (CMI) as a recipient of their Accountants Honour role, every year of her employment at Downtown Toyota (i.e., many years).

• As a parent, she was dedicated to us, she didn’t just arrange for us to get to activities, she made sure she saved the funds to pay for the activities, and sat on the boards of these activities almost always in the role of a Chair, or as a Brown Owl, to initiate the family’s long-term involvement in the Girl Guides of Canada (GGC).

• In retirement, she sat on the board of her townhouse Strata rotating between the roles of Treasurer and Chair., worked as a financial planner, and continued to volunteer with GGC, working with the Provincial finance committee up until her death.

• For herself, she was a member of the All-Terrain Trefoil Guild, and a dedicated member of the B.C. Miniaturists. Both groups provided mom with wonderful experiences and a wealth of friendships.

Mom was so much to so many, it’s hard to mention all her accomplishments, but I can say that living life without worry, was her focus when dad died, and she accomplished that – she did good.

Join us to celebrate mom’s life, at St. Francis De Sales Parish, located at 6610 Balmoral St, Burnaby, BC, V5E 1H2, Canada, on March 14, 2026, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm for her funeral, followed by a gathering in the church hall.

In leu of flowers, mom asked that donations be made to your charity of choice, or to:

• Covenant House Vancouver to support street youth, or

• Girl Guides of Canada, Camp Olave – For accessibility upgrades, to improve the camp experience for those with mobility challenges.

Links are below.