Lillian Irene Sweet

1942—2019

Lillian passed away peacefully and surrounded by her family Sunday June 9, after a mercifully short battle with cancer. She was just shy of her 77th year.

Born to Henry Boettcher and Marie Herrmann and raised on a farm outside Hanna, Alberta, Lillian was the youngest, and the first of her seven siblings to be born in a hospital (Hanna Hospital). Family was the focus of her young life—she always spoke in reverent tones about her Daddy—and she enjoyed having tea parties with her sister, Elsie, and playing with their paper dolls. The brothers, Albert, Dan, John, Helmet, Emil and Ervin, would dig tunnels in the snow and send the girls in first to “make sure it was safe”.

Life on a farm can be tough and the family eventually moved to Calgary in the fall of ’51 after a particularly hard year with their livestock. Lil attended Balmoral Junior High and Crescent Heights High School, and when just 16 years old started working in the administrative offices of the Calgary General Hospital. And serving others would become her life: she worked as a unit clerk for the next 50 years at either the General, Holy Cross, Peter Loughheed or Rockyview hospitals, and was loved by all those that knew her.

She was married in Calgary on Dec 1, 1962, and was a loving and caring mother of three: Jacquie, Jason and Justin. Family once again dominated her life and she sacrificed greatly to ensure her children had all they needed and were never left wanting, be it food, clothing, support or love. This selfless and caring disposition led to her favourite pastime of crocheting hats, scarves and blankets for those less fortunate—she received great satisfaction from donating to the Mustard Seed and various senior’s homes around town.

Connecting with people was important to her, so after retirement she became a YYC White Hatter, working as a volunteer ambassador for visitors to our city up until the time of her passing.

She was spiritual by nature and enjoyed watching Pastor Mark Hughes’ Church of the Rock on Sunday mornings. She also loved sending cards to mark special occasions—you never had to remember dates of importance; a card letting you know she was thinking of you would arrive just before, regular as clockwork.

Lillian is survived by her three children, Jacquie, Jason (Paula) and Justin (Kelly), a granddaughter, Tabitha, and the apple of her eye over the last three and a half years, her great granddaughter Nhiya. Nhiya will be the poorer for not having her great grandmother—gee gee—in her life going forward.

If friends so desire, memorial donations may be made directly to The Canadian Cancer Society or to a charity of your choice.