Gerda Eleanor Todd

In loving memory of Gerda Eleanor Todd (nee Murray), who passed away on 31 January 2025, peacefully in her sleep. Now she is with her dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Gerda was a public health nurse, volunteer coordinator and caring friend. She was a dedicated mother to her children, Heather (Brad), Wendy (Colin) and Nigel; even when they were spread across the globe in the USA, Japan, Australia, and China. She will be remembered for her generosity to a wide variety of people, deep friendships, love of church, love of gardening and hospitality. Indeed, Gerda’s apricot mousse recipe has been widely distributed. Seasonal harvesting of her own apples and pears, as well as berries from Lulu Island, turned her kitchen into a veritable factory producing bottled fruit, apple sauce and jam. Even visitors were pressed into coring and slicing duties. Creative endeavours included water colours, sewing, knitting, puppetry and many strange and wonderful creations in paper mâché, including an impressive gold Madonna which appeared each Christmas.

Born and raised in St Fernando, Trinadad, the West Indies, to Leonard and Ingaborg, a Scottish doctor and Norwegian nurse, Gerda enjoyed a tropical childhood with her brothers Haakon and Teddy, and friend Pamela Reid, until as a teenager, she emigrated to Canada to enter boarding school in Toronto at Branksome Hall. She trained at the Royal Victoria Hospital Montreal, and worked in the polio ward. While living ‘back East’, she enjoyed contact with Haakon and Ruth, and her Norwegian-Pennsylvania family.

On a holiday whim, Gerda and some friends travelled across Canada to see what was on the other side. Nursing friends in Vancouver convinced her to stay with them in Point Grey and try nursing in Vancouver. She trained as an RN at UBC and because a public health nurse in the Little Mountain area, thoroughly enjoying visiting and helping people in their own homes. She became involved in Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Bible studies, socials and camps where she met Englishman Eric. C.E. Todd, seconded to the UBC Faculty of Law from University of Manchester. Gerda and Eric married in 1955 and raised three children and two dogs in the University Endowment Lands near UBC. Two of Gerda’s lifelong friends she met during this time were Patricia Oswald and Edith Martin.

Gerda belonged to the Faculty Women’s Bible study for many years, forming lasting friendships with remarkable women including neighbour Anne Jull and leader Gail Stevens. She was a Brownie leader, volunteer teacher with the Vancouver Puppetry Guild, and started OSTOP, an organisation educating Western Canadians about osteoporosis when it was little understood. Later Gerda became a Salvation Army area coordinator and covered the living room in their distinctive red bags. When her marriage to Eric ended, Gerda rose to the challenge and filled the family home with Japanese students learning English and UBC and Regent College students. Her much-loved home at ‘1866’ was within walking distance from the college and university so it provided a haven for many students, visitors, friends and family.

With Heather and family living in Portland, and Wendy and family in Sydney, when Nigel returned from two years in China, he happily joined Gerda, and redoubled efforts in gardening and entertaining at 1866. If the dark woodwork of Gerda’s dining room could talk, it would tell stories of many hundreds of plans hatched, couples matched, or spats thatched, over seemingly innocent cups of tea.

Gerda and Edith Martin travelled to Australia, and later Gerda enjoyed travelling with Nigel, cruising all around the Americas, the Caribbean, the Pacific, and Australasia. As health challenges increased, Gerda focussed on enjoying her retirement village friends, zoom devotions from St John’s, live music performances and her cheerful balcony garden. Together with Nigel, Gerda enjoyed celebrating life in all its seasons right up to Thanksgiving 2024. Even nearing the end, her deep brown eyes and radiant smile shone with the peace and love she had found in Christ all the days of her life.

Gerda is survived by her three children, Heather (Brad), Wendy (Colin) and Nigel; her five grandchildren: Derek (Ariel), Kelsey (Ivan), Mark; Madeleine (Phil) and Murray; and six great-grandchildren: Ezra, Keira, Isaiah; Thomas, Lydia; and Theo. Gerda will be dearly missed by her relatives: the Murrays in Vancouver, and Chase, the Wales Family in Kamloops; the Todds in England; the Reiersens and Teiglands in Norway, the Kegleys in the USA as well as many friends at UBC, Regent and St John’s in Vancouver, and all who cherish memories of afternoon teas in her garden.

“Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise” (Hymn: Love divine, all love excelling).

A Thanksgiving Service will be held

Tuesday April 08 2025, at 10:30AM

St John’s Vancouver Anglican Church

5350 Baillie St., Vancouver BC

In lieu of flowers, please consider giving to organisations close to Gerda’s heart:

St. John's Vancouver Church

Pioneer Camps, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship

Blenheim Lodge

Salvation Army