Lavina Lydia Miller

Lavina is survived by her children Tom Miller, Patricia Newson, and Joanne Swainson; grandchildren Tara Swainson, Jeff Swainson, Laura Newson, Francisco Pino and great granddaughter Eleanor Swainson. She was predeceased by her daughter Marilyn Schulz in 1983, her partner Robert Blyth in 2009, and her parents Jack and Mary Warkentin in the 1980’s.

Lavina was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and returned frequently with family “in tow”, spending many enjoyable summers at her parents’ cabin at Emma Lake. After she and Earl Miller married in Saskatoon in 1951, they settled in Calgary and had a new baby every two years. She liked organization and structure, traits kindred with her Warkentin Construction father. Focussing her time and resources on what needed to be done and keeping an eye on budget, the Miller children (four of her resources) all had lists of chores to keep the house in order and to learn responsibility. Lavina shopped, cooked and fed the family (dogs and cats included), sewed and patched clothes, grew large vegetable and flower gardens, forecast cash flow and planned and managed home maintenance, repairs and upgrades. Her child resources shone in the neighbourhood and at Earl’s corporate Christmas and Stampede parties. Her project management skills strengthened with her many roles as a wife and mother. In 1966, Lavina and Earl built a new home in University Heights, thinking all their kids could walk to the University of Calgary. Supervising and controlling the building contractor to ensure her standards were met was right up her alley: Mike Holmes has nothing on her.

In 1975, she and daughter Marilyn earned real estate licenses; Lavina evolved to be property manager, maintenance supervisor and bookkeeper for a company owning dozens of properties. Her years of housewifery made these roles easy! Her home being by then childless, she had enough time to enjoy vacation trips, early-on including Marilyn. After Marilyn’s car accident death, Lavina switched her focus from work to family and travel, going on cruises and tours in the USA, Scotland, England, Asia, Russia and Europe. She especially enjoyed visiting her friends, the Bakers, at their Arizona winter home. As her family grew to include in-laws and grandchildren, Lavina continued to serve legendary family dinners around her kitchen table, despite insisting that she hated cooking. Lavina remained active physically and mentally with swimming, touring Calgary’s suburban growth, visiting and playing cards with friends, collecting Swarovski and giving generously of her time to care for family and friends. Many of Lavina’s possessions and treasures are enjoyed by the “kids”, helping keep memories fresh.

Lavina was independent, self-sufficient and in control most of her life. Over the last number of years she was sad to need to rely on others. After 49 years in her University Heights home, she sold in 2015. She missed 2424, and continually said “I am house proud”. Lavina was an energetic partner, wife, mother, grandmother and friend and will be sadly missed by all who knew and loved her.

“Gone yet not forgotten”

As Lavina wished, there will be no formal service. Interment will be in Saskatoon in April, followed by a family dinner (Lavina’s recipes).