Roberta "Jean" Irvine

On November 6, 2022 Jean Irvine passed away peacefully at the University of Alberta Hospital

after suffering a stroke two weeks earlier. She was 91 years old. The second child of Bonar and Jane

Irvine, Jean was a self-taught woman of many skills and abilities. Her daughter Susan Chyne Irvine

predeceased her in 2008. Jean is survived by son Randle Irvine Shaw, his partner Dianne and his two

daughters Tasli and Kyli; son Kevin Barton Irvine; daughter Lesley Jane Shaw, husband Ed and her two daughters

Lindsey and Morgan as well as their children Braxton and Lyra. Jean is also survived by her sister

Marguerite Brown, brother Donald Irvine and sister Eleanor Irvine. According to her wishes, Jean will

be cremated without ceremony. Donations can be made in her name to the Mazankowski Heart

Institute.

Jean was a confident person who tackled challenges fearlessly, handling every obstacle that life

threw at her with consummate expertise. She began her working career with the RCAF, where she met

her husband (later divorced) who predeceased her in 2015. After her stint in the military Jean occupied

herself with raising her four kids, mending fences, digging foundations, pouring concrete, sewing

dresses, painting houses, landscape work, gardening, crocheting intricate table cloths, collecting and

placing giant boulders and countless railway ties in ambitious landscaping projects, laying linoleum,

refinishing furniture, solving puzzles of all types, landscape painting, camping and much, much more.

She personally saw to it that her old house and garage underwent a series of badly needed repairs,

upgrades and total rebuilds, all carried out to proper standards. Her garden drew frequent praise from

passing strangers, and was shown on the six o'clock news more than once. Jean was a prolific reader

with a razor sharp mind who preferred her own research over accepting whatever she was told. Jean

appreciated classical music and the artworks of the masters, British mysteries were her standard

weekend viewing, she gave as good as she got while watching Jeopardy and tuned in to the Eskimos,

Oilers and curling as well. Jean was a woman of many interests who knew a lot about each and every

one of them. She admired Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa, Gordie Howe, Joni

Mitchell, Mark Twain, Colleen McCullough, Muhammad Ali, Judi Dench, Maya Angelou, Maggie

Smith and the Queen.

Jean Irvine expected a lot from herself, and she delivered it without ever singing her own

praises or fishing for compliments. A strong, unique person who left us so much to be grateful for. Rest

in peace Mum.