Ursula Frieda Humphries

A life well-lived. Deeply missed.

Beloved wife of Nolan (2010), cherished sister to Karin (Duncan), loved mother of Abigail (Andrew) and Alison (Terry), dearest Ti to Helen and Felix. Remembered by wider family in North America and Europe as kind aunt, cousin and in-law. Valued and committed friend, godmother, neighbour and colleague.

Born in Latvia and uprooted from her homeland by World War II, Ursula spent her early childhood in Europe as a refugee before her parents (Herbert and Gerda) moved the family to Newfoundland in 1951. The change was not easy for the family, but Ursula adapted to her new life with determination, training as a nurse and going on to work at Toronto and Montreal General hospitals and Queen’s Square Neurology in London, England.

Ursula met Nolan in Montreal and they married in 1969. With the arrival of their two daughters, over the next decades, they built a safe and loving family life together, first in England and then in America and Canada. As well as her devotion to home and family, Ursula was a curious and nurturing person who relished trying new foods (even if she didn’t know how to prepare them!), greatly appreciated dogs (her own and friends’) and watching the daily escapades of her garden’s wildlife, and enjoyed reviving the diverse ‘underdogs’ of plants that found their way into her care. While she felt very Canadian, Ursula also kept strong connections to her Baltic German heritage and culture, something that brought an unusual richness of experience to day-to-day family life, fed actively into her interests and hobbies, and ensured she remained regularly in touch with friends and family in Europe.

After retirement, Ursula and Nolan settled in Guelph, a place they were very happy to call home. Ursula enjoyed spending time in the garden and appreciated the kindness and comradery from her neighbours and their four-legged friends. Highly social, Ursula was actively involved in the lives of her children, grandchildren and sister and loved spending time with her many friends. She was an avid folk dancer, regularly attending camps and travelling abroad with members of her ‘folk dance family’ to learn about and experience the traditional music and culture of countries as disparate as Romania, India and Turkey.

Closer to home, she spent many a happy weekly afternoon chatting over cake with her Scrabble group.

Never one to be stopped from doing what she loved, she continued all of these activities right up to the end, and it was a source of great comfort and joy to see the happiness this brought her.

The family would like to extend their thanks and appreciation to nurse Shannon and the rest of the palliative care team and their deepest gratitude for the gentle care provided by all of the staff at Hospice Wellington.

A Celebration of Ursula’s life will be held at the Gilbert MacIntyre & Son Funeral Home, Hart Chapel, 1099 Gordon St. Guelph on Sunday, November 10, 2024 from 1- 4 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations to Hospice Wellington or a charity of your choice would be appreciated by the family. Donation cards are available at the funeral home or online at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com