Catherine Norma Schaff

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Catherine Norma Schaff (nee Wilkinson) – a WWII Veteran, LIFE member of TVS Branch 44 and Meritorious Service Medal award recipient from the Royal Canadian Legion. Catherine passed away Friday Dec. 1, 2023, at the age of 97 in North Vancouver, BC following a short illness.

A funeral service will be held on Sunday Dec. 17 at 2pm at St. Christophers Anglican Church at 1068 Inglewood Avenue, West Vancouver. All are welcome. We encourage you to wear bright clothing in her memory. In lieu of sending flowers you are invited to make a donation to TB Vets Charitable Foundation or to TVS Branch 44 Royal Canadian Legion.

Catherine was born to parents Dorothy (Waite) and Thomas Wilkinson in Eldersley, Saskatchewan May 13, 1926. She always thought the 13th was a lucky number.

She was the last of her eight siblings to survive, and is predeceased by her brothers Stanley, Carl, and Robbie and her three sisters Josephine, Bernice and Murna, along with sister Barbara who passed away at age 6 months.

Mom had a wonderful life growing up on the farm. Photos from those early days showed so many occasions of joy, whether they were swimming in a dugout, holding chickens in their arms or picking raspberries from the gardens. They were always surrounded by family. I’m sure times were tough for them, being born right after WWI but Grandpa Wilkinson, a Canadian Army veteran who served at Vimy Ridge, always found money to take his children to fairs and community events.

Mom attended a one-room schoolhouse in the District of Clashmoor, named by Grandpa Wilkinson after the town of Clashmoor in Scotland, where he was a patient after being injured in the war. She attained a Grade 10 education. Being from strict British parents, they were sent off to school in ‘appropriate’ dress, but Mom, always a bit of a rebel, would remove the ugly stockings, or roll up her skirt, but only after they were out of sight from Grandma.

It was on the family farm that she met the ‘love of her life’ John Joseph Schaff, who was a hired farmhand. John went off to war in 1941 and Catherine also decided to help the ‘war effort’. With the blessing of her father off she went, leaving the farm in 1943 at age seventeen, and went to work near Toronto in the Ajax war plant, where she learned to make shells for the war effort. She also worked in a Scarborough war plant making bombs for what we now know as “Bomb Girls”

In 1944 she joined the Canadian Women’s Army Corp. She received driver training in Woodstock, Ontario and was posted to Halifax where she became qualified to drive trucks and jeeps. At the end of the war, she met troop ships of Canadian soldiers returning home. Eventually she was transferred to Vancouver where she drove officers around town to their meetings and other duties. She was so proud of her driving abilities and taught most of us how to drive. Even a short time ago, she would say, “Heddy, you didn’t signal” or “this isn’t the way I would have gone”. She hated giving up her licence, in her late 80’s.

When the war was over, she returned to Tisdale Saskatchewan where she soon married Dad in April 1946.

Initially they lived in a converted granary on the Wilkinsons farm but then purchased land not far from them in the Florentine district with a Veterans Land Act loan, where the family lived until they moved to North Vancouver in 1957. This was a large two-story white farmhouse on a quarter section of land.

John and Catherine had six children when they moved to North Vancouver. Heddy, Chrystal, Kandys, Thomas,

Daniel, and David. They quickly purchased a home in the Canyon Heights area of North Vancouver where John worked for the District of North Vancouver until he retired, returning each year to their Saskatchewan farm to plant and then in the Fall, harvest the grain. They were a team!

Two more children Melody and Alexandra were born six years after they arrived in North Vancouver.

Sadly, Melody passed away of Leukemia at almost six years of age, and Chrystal at age thirty-six of heart disease. Those were very sad and tough times for the family. Catherine lost her loving husband John on June 30, 2005 after nearly 60 years of marriage.

Catherine is survived by six of her eight children. Heddy Bing, (Bob Bing, deceased), Kandys Merola, (Peter Merola), Alexandra Schaff, Thomas Schaff, (Trudy Norton), Daniel Schaff (Lisa Schaff), and David Schaff. (Leigh Parker). Her family photo of all of us was her prized possession, often forcing us to take it with us as she went to doctors’ appointments. She is also survived by thirteen grandchildren and nineteen great grandchildren. She was so proud of her family.

People were drawn to our mother. She was the ‘best’ listener! She always looked fabulous. Her hair was done, her nails polished, her clothing was stylish, and she always had make-up on. How you looked was incredibly important to her and she expected her children, especially her daughters to follow suit. She rarely spent a lot of money on her clothing and was always appalled that we might spend more than she thought we should have spent on an item. She was a great shopper! Whether it was a ballgown from the Salvation army or a sweater from Winners, she knew how to put things together.

She valued education. All of her children are accomplished in trades and business.

She valued sports. All of her children were in team sports, and Alexandra skated Internationally.

She valued musical education. All studied an instrument. Some played with the renowned North Vancouver Schools Band. Heddy is now studying Jazz piano after years of classical training.

She valued travel. Mom always had a trip planned. New Orleans, Cruises, Europe… She valued theatre. For years Mom held seasons tickets to various theatre houses.

She valued Volunteerism. The list is long for her, and with her example of how to live a full life, her children have followed suit. She started in Florentine, Saskatchewan, for over eight years, writing a column in a local paper on neighbourhood activities. In Vancouver she worked for the Capilano Suspension Bridge in Banquet Services as she raised her children. She also volunteered and worked at the North Vancouver Recreation Centre in the cafeteria preparing lunch programs for students and spent 10 years volunteering at Riverview Hospital, visiting, and entertaining the patients. This experience later led to a full-time position at Inglewood Nursing Home in West Vancouver, where Catherine became Supervisor of General nursing aides. She worked at Inglewood for 17 years.

With the Royal Canadian Legion, she volunteered on many committees including multiple social events, Remembrance Day Activities, Dinners, Installations, the Lower Mainland Colour Party. While on the Branch executive committee for over ten years, she was a tireless volunteer for her duties of sick and visiting. We have had many happy and festive events with Mom’s creative touch setting the tone of the events. For years she participated at local elementary schools sharing information about being in WWII. She was always a proud veteran.

She volunteered for years at the Silk Purse Art Gallery in West Vancouver, and acted as a hostess at St. Christopher’s Anglican Church.

Mom was an accomplished decorator. She lived and decorated eleven homes in her lifetime. They were always beautiful. Even the farmhouse had a red lacquer ceiling! She sewed all her drapery. She always had wonderful artwork, mostly originals of artists whose work she loved. The homes were full of colour and always welcoming.

When she was asked what the secret was to her long life, she said “It’s to participate, to get up, get dressed and do everything you can.”

She has left a great legacy and we miss her terribly.