Alice "Kitty" Wright

Alice passed away on July 12 at the age of 93. She will be lovingly remembered by her children Barbara (Rex), Donna (Rod) and Peter (Betty) as well as by her grandchildren: Matt (Amy), Katie (Luke) and Fraser of New Zealand and Andrea (Brian), Lindsay and Scott (Mara) of Calgary. She was thrilled to have met two great-grandchildren, Angus and Edward and was looking forward to the arrival of two more. Kitty was predeceased by her husband Gordon, siblings Ron, Ted, Wilf, Sid and Hilda and parents Alice Ann and Edward, all of England.

Alice Wright, affectionately known to most as “Kitty”, was born December 2, 1919 in Ardsley, England. She was one of six children in a family of very humble means and left home at the age of 14 to work as a “mother’s helper” in Leeds. During the war Kitty worked in a bomb factory, then after the war met her husband Gordon, who worked as a manager at the movie theater. In 1956 Gordon immigrated to Canada and was followed in early 1957 by Kitty and their children Barbara and Peter. They settled in Edmonton where daughter Donna was born, moving to Calgary in 1974 where they would spend the rest of their days.

Kitty was a wonderful homemaker who took great pride in her cooking and baking. She hosted countless dinners for her children, grandchildren and friends, and was famous for her turkeys, Yorkshire pudding, cheesecake, shortbreads and sausage rolls. The Sunday dinners and visits from her grandchildren were the highlight of Kitty’s week. Kitty was also infinitely generous; it was rare to leave her house empty-handed after such visits!

Kitty had a beautiful garden, which she would start from seeds in her basement each winter. The smell of roses will forever remind us of her. She took great joy in her indoor plants as well and her home was always full of cut flowers, African violets and orchids.

Every winter for many years, Kitty and Gordon escaped the cold in Canada to visit family and friends in New Zealand. These times were some of the most enjoyable of their retirement and they attended many parties and made lifelong friends. While there, Kitty particularly loved scouring garage sales for bargains and always had a story to tell about each of her “finds”. In the years when travelling to New Zealand was no longer possible, the visits from New Zealand family were always a true pleasure.

Kitty also had a cheeky side, often at Gordon’s expense. We will remember her contagious giggling fits and her happy demeanour, best characterised by her near-constant humming and singing. She was an eternal glamour-puss who loved to be surrounded by all things pretty, including her lovely bone china collection - much of which was brought from New Zealand and England, wrapped in her bras and underwear! Kitty loved her sparkly jewellery and proudly wore her watches and many rings up to her first knuckles.

Special thanks to the many friends, family, nurses and care-givers whose assistance and frequent visits allowed Kitty to happily remain in her own home. Particular mention should be made of Donna and Rod, whose love and support helped Kitty stay happy, healthy and active into her final days. Kitty also greatly enjoyed visits from Donna’s dog, Hope, who spent many hours under her kitchen table or with her head on Kitty’s lap. Kitty will be dearly missed, and she will be remembered as an intelligent, loving and feisty woman, and as Gordon used to call her, one “tough-old-bird”.

A memorial will be held for Kitty on Thursday, July 18, 2013. Please contact the family for details.