May 24, 1931 – October 23, 2025
Mona Short was born in Gleichen, Alberta as the second of four children of Melvin and Helen (Sache) Short. Her parents had moved to and spent 15 years in Alberta following their marriage then returned to Chilliwack in 1944.
Mona graduated from Chilliwack High School. In 1949 she was selected as Chilliwack Cherry Carnival Queen and fulfilled her duties with poise and grace. She married Vern Bradwell on May 24, 1951. They lived in Edmonton for a short time before returning to Chilliwack where they resided on Mary Street and raised six children.
As her children grew older, Mona worked for Valley Cablevision and St. Mary’s Parish. From 1975 to 1978 Mona, Vern and the two youngest children lived in Trujillo, Peru where Vern was working. On returning, they lived in Sherwood Park, Alberta and then in Abbotsford until 1990. They retired to Chilliwack, living in the Crescent Avenue area until 2019 when they moved into Birchwood Manor. Mona lived at Cascade Lodge for the last two years.
Mona and Vern had many close friendships through their family, church and social activities. They regularly entertained at home, especially as avid bridge players. Mona took up golf and curling in her early years of retirement. She and Vern traveled to various places in the USA and Canada and, in 2011, to England, Paris, Rome and Vatican City.
Mona was a loving wife and mother. She was an excellent homemaker, highly skilled at keeping her children fed, bathed and dressed in clean clothes, getting them off to school, church and bed on time, and guiding them to be polite, well-mannered and hardworking. And she would still have time to organize birthday parties and picnic lunches, read and tell stories, find out how her husband’s and children’s days went, and mend socks, wounds and broken hearts. She kept this up while Dad spent long days commuting for work in Vancouver or was working away from home for extended periods. She and Dad enjoyed a very special and caring relationship; their eyes would light up when he returned from work and they could lose themselves in each other’s arms gliding across a dance floor.
Mona was a devout life-long Roman Catholic, a long standing member of St. Mary’s Parish and an active member of the Catholic Women’s League. Faith guided all aspects of her life and supported her as she made many sacrifices for family and others. Her faith was unshakeable through the last ten years as she fought to live with joy and gratitude in the face of loss of memory and identity from Alzheimer’s disease and loss of her husband after seventy years of marriage.
Mum lived simply with a focus on faith and family. She loved being a mother and her 13 grand-children and 22 great-grandchildren brought joy to her life. She is loved deeply and will be missed. We entrust her to the care of her Father in heaven.
Mona is survived by her children Tony (Phyllis), Verona (Jack) Dickout, Monty (Kim), Kevin (Cindy), Taryn (Ron) Dixon and Phil (Karen), her sister Donna Logan and brother Jack (Audrey) Short. She was predeceased by her sister Marie Turnbow and husband R. Vernon Bradwell.
Vigil (Prayer) Service will be on Monday, November 3, 7:00pm with Funeral Liturgy (Mass) on Tuesday, November 4, 10:00am, both at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Chilliwack. A reception at St. Mary’s Hall will follow the Mass. Committal (Burial) will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery on Promontory Road.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to BC Alzheimer's Society or to Children's Heart Network Mila’s Fund in memory of one of Mona's great grand-daughters.
The family wishes to thank Rev. Giovanni Schiesari, Dr. Paul Basson, and the staff of Birchwood Manor and Cascade Lodge for their care and contribution to Mona’s life.
