Anne Luise Gnabs

Anne is survived by daughter Heidi (Bill Graw), daughter Cathy Woods, daughter Nicole (Trevor Sisson), and son Ronald (Larissa), plus 4 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her husband Felix Gnabs, her brother Gerd Meske of Bonn, Germany and sister Helga Arnold of Zernien, Germany.

Anne was born on January 3, 1936 in Deutsch-Eylau, East Prussia to Werner Meske and Auguste Friedrich. She graduated from school in Hornhausen, East Germany. After her escape to West Germany she worked as a governess and a dental assistant in the city of Hamburg. In 1955 she married Felix Gnabs, an aircraft machinist employed by Lufthansa. Anne and Felix migrated with their children to Richmond, BC, Canada in 1966 where she began working as a waitress and eventually became dining room hostess for the Cara Corporation at the Vancouver International Airport.

Anne was a much beloved mother, wife and devoted friend. She is remembered for her warm welcoming ways and her great sense of humour. She so enjoyed hosting large dinner gatherings for family and friends. She enjoyed attending the symphonies and operas. She had a fine appreciation for the arts and loved to travel. She was an active member, shop steward and negotiator, for the trade union representing Cara Employees; she was passionate about the role women played in the workforce and society in general. She cared deeply about the many challenges that all too many people face in today’s world. Anne will be remembered as hardworking, caring and generous.

A limited viewing is scheduled for December 7, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. at Ocean View Chapel, with a private ceremony to follow at Ocean View Burial Park, 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m., 4000 Imperial St, Burnaby, BC. Pastor Layton Chmelyk will officiate the ceremony.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to a charity of your choice. The family would like to thank the healthcare providers at the Abbotsford Cancer Clinic and the Langley Hospice Society for their exceptional care, attention and kindness.

The family is also deeply grateful to Ted Jones and Janice Bondi of Ocean View Burial Park for their caring guidance and advice.