Helen Lucy Welwood

Lucy was born June 28, 1922 in Leask, Saskatchewan, the first child of Richard and Vera Marks. Eventually she was joined by 4 siblings - Vernon, Gene, Shirley and Eleanor. Her early life was marked by momentous world events - a childhood in the Great Depression and then young adulthood during the war years.

She met Howie at an Alliance church social event, and a passionate romance ensued with them getting married October 18, 1944. The romance never faded throughout the 50 years they were wed, through all the ups and downs that life threw at them.

Mom and Dad settled in Edmonton, Alberta in 1946. Soon the family began growing; first with Joan in 1948, then Joyce in 1949 and finally Jim in 1954.

Mom settled into her memorable role of mother to us all, keeping the house shiny and making sure there were always goodies to serve to out frequent visitors. She was an amazing baker, well known for her pies, buns and squares. Church suppers were frequent, and we kids would always look for mom’s goodies as they were THE BEST!

The next big change happened in 1963 when we moved to Coquitlam, British Columbia. Our family became founding members of Calvary Baptist Church and this quickly became the hub of our social lives.

As we kids grew up and eventually left, mom became involved in doing crafts. She knit and crocheted afghans and completed many resin crafts.

In 1976, Howie and Lucy moved to Nelson, and then Castlegar and finally Kamloops. They lived longest in Castlegar where they made many friends and built a lovely home on the riverside. In the mid- eighties they made their final big move to Abbotsford, where Dad eventually retired. They enjoyed many years of fellowship and service at Abbotsford Baptist Church. Life revolved around visiting family (which now included 6 grandchildren - Heather, Melissa, Bonnie, Rebecca, Jeremy and Karen) and traveling.

Tragedy struck in 1995 when Dad passed away from a fairly lengthy illness. It was very difficult for Mom to adjust to being alone, but having her sister Shirley living close by certainly helped. They went on a number of cruises and kept an eye on each other.

In 2002, Mom’s life took an irreversible turn as she suffered a major stroke. She eventually moved to Menno Terrace East when it opened (where she met and married Al Smart) - and then as her health declined to Sherwood Manor and finally to The Mayfair.

Throughout all her life, Mom proved to be resilient to change and able to make friends. The staff at Mayfair recall her as a sweet and generous soul, many of them having shared her chocolate. Chocolate was a major passion!

We are so thankful Mom had such a long and full life, and she will be remembered with love by her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and the many people who had the joy of knowing her.

Lucy was interred at Maclure Road Cemetery on January 31, 2018.

Please send donations in lieu of flowers to the Abbotsford Baptist Church Mission Fund.