Patricia Gail Sharek

How do you put pen to paper and summarize the life of someone so special in a few short paragraphs? You cannot but, we can summarize her life in one word that means something unique to each and every one of us in our relationship with Gail: Family.

Gail was born in late fall of 1946 to Beatrice and Alanson Whitford of Fort Saskatchewan, both of whom were from large families. Gail was the youngest of 9 children with 4 older brothers: Mac, Doug, Garry and Norman; and 4 older sisters: Bert, Shirley, Carroll and Sandra. The Whitford family lived in Fort Saskatchewan close to Gail’s maternal grandparents – Lenore and Archie Turner – and as such they were always surrounded by lots of family and friends.

At the age of 9, Gail along with her sisters Carrol and Sandra went to live with their brother Garry and his wife Edith in Calmar after the early passing of their mother. Within a year they would move to “North Edmonton”, with Carroll and Sandra each having gone to live with older sisters. Although this time in her life was difficult, Gail was always surrounded by the love and close family connections of the Whitfords, Vollraths and Turner families, which would set the groundwork for the basis of her life.

It was during these years in North Edmonton that Gail would learn to bake, cook, knit, crochet and skate among other things. She received her first pair of ice skates for Christmas one year and spent long hours practicing in the back yard so she could enter the Winter Carnival as a figure skater.

In a large boisterous family, Gail was soft spoken and somewhat shy. She was a petite attractive young woman that would “catch the eye” of Walter Sharek, a friend of her older brothers Garry and Doug. It was not long before Walter began taking Gail out on dates. They would go fishing along the North Saskatchewan River – Walter would fish while Gail would sit along the riverbank and knit, crochet doilies or do puzzles; or they would go ice skating in Hawrelak Park. Gail was so in love with Walter that she would sit patiently in his car and knit while Walter was in the bar with Gail’s brothers and friends, as she was too young to join them.

Walter proposed to Gail in his car, and they started their lives together on April 4, 1964. Gail moved into the house in Kensington where they would raise their family and it is the place that they still call home to this day. They were blessed with two children of their own: Corinne and Stewart.

Gail and Walter would bring up their children surrounded by their large families. They never missed a family gathering, party or event. If they weren’t attending functions, they were hosting them… including poker night where beer and clamato was Gail’s mini indulgence. Gail and Walter’s home was not only a place of gathering, but a place that welcomed family to stay for as little or long as was needed: her father, her brothers, her siblings with their families, various nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles too.

They never missed an opportunity to attend the Whitford family reunions where they got to reconnect with loved ones and celebrate the Metis heritage of the Whitford family. At one reunion in particular, Gail and her sisters dressed up and danced and sang to “We Are Family” by Sister Sledge, a moment that will fill our hearts with joy and fond memories for eternity. Gail became a member of the Metis Nation of Alberta to honour her family heritage.

Gail loved all children, not just her own. She became a Brownie leader when Corinne was in Brownies and was a beloved elementary school lunchroom attendant for 25 years. She never missed the chance to ask how her nieces and nephews as well as great nieces and nephews were doing when checking in with family members by phone. She was always available for baby sitting duty too.

While Gail loved her children dearly, her grandsons – Jeffrey and Trevor, were her world. Gail and Walter never missed a hockey or soccer game. If they weren’t on driving duty to get the boys there, they were always there to watch their games. On the rare occasion when they missed a game, the other hockey parents would wonder where they were. Gail was so thrilled to go to Disneyland with Corinne and the boys when they were younger. As Jeff and Trevor grew older, their close bond with Grandma remained strong and their kindness and compassion toward her, brought her great joy and became her solace.

This amazing woman – who knitted, crocheted, coloured, made Barbie doll clothes, baked great shortbread cookies and loved Bingo night with her family and friends was above all, a beloved wife and partner to Walter for over 57 years, and they built a wonderful life together.

They both loved to travel and they camped all over BC and Alberta. In the early days their weekend excursions were often out to Vilna to visit Edith and Garry and family. Later in retirement their summers were spent in central BC with the Canada Day long weekend gatherings in Valemount being at the top of their priority list. As it was in the beginning when they first met, while Walter fished in the rivers, Gail knitted to pass the time. In addition to camping, Gail was so excited to able to go to Las Vegas and on a cruise to Alaska.

While at home after the summer camping was done, they enjoyed spending time together watching TV; the Price is Right, The Young & Restless, Mountain Men, Alaskan Bushpeople and Alaska: The Last Frontier. A&W for breakfast was always a welcome change as well as Swiss Chalet for a night out.

Gail’s courage, strength and tenacity helped her get through these past many difficult years. She fought a good fight, but not for her – for her family. She did her best to remain strong for those who loved her dearly: her husband, her children, her grandchildren and large extended family.

So how do you summarize the life of someone as special and dear as Gail?

With one word – FAMILY.