Beryl Marjorie Parkinson

Beryl Parkinson passed away in her sleep on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at age 91, surrounded by loved ones, after months of quietly but bravely battling a series of health issues that would have defeated a less strong-willed person years ago.

Beryl (née Kermode) was born on May 28, 1934, in Birkenhead, a suburb of Liverpool, England; she was raised in the rough-edged port city during first a depression and then a world war. When Liverpool was bombed by the Germans, she and her older brother Jim were forced to evacuate and live separately from their family in the countryside. Beryl excelled at school, attending the Liverpool Institute for Girls at Blackburne House, and worked various administrative jobs after graduation. It was in one of these positions that she met another young co-worker, Eric Parkinson, who became her partner in life for more than 70 years.

Beryl and Eric were married in the summer of 1958, and emigrated to Canada in the spring of 1959. They had their first child, Mike, in Calgary in 1961, and were in Edmonton in 1964 when their second, Dave, was born. After another move to Prince George, B.C., they returned in 1969 to Calgary, which Beryl called home for most of the rest of her life. Their daughter, Sandie, was born in 1975.

Beryl made the bold decision at 40 to pursue higher education, attending university classes with students half her age and both outworking and outsmarting them all. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and History in 1985, and went on to receive a Master of Arts in History in 1998, writing her thesis on the dissolution of the Catholic monasteries under Henry VIII in the English county of Cheshire (near her childhood home). She then launched a career at the University of Calgary, pouring her energies and brains into helping first Catering Services, and then the Canadian Research Institute for Law and the Family, run like Beryl-oiled machines.

Beryl loved music and sang whenever she could – whether it was to entertain herself while doing household chores, or as a member of various choirs, including the Youth Singers of Calgary (the Second Chants division) and at her church. She was a long-time and active parishioner at the Church of the Good Shepherd (Anglican) in Calgary. She and Eric have been members of the Calgary Winter Club for more than a half-century, and it has been a hub for their athletic and social lives, including Beryl’s enthusiastic participation in curling, badminton and yoga. Most recently, Beryl’s Winter Club activities focused on her book club, which has been a source of friendship and support as Beryl battled her health challenges. Beryl and Eric have continued to live in their home in Silver Springs, caring for their garden and each other and hosting their children’s families on visits from near and far.

Beryl is survived by her husband of 67 years, Eric, as well as her three children and their spouses: Mike (and Sherry, of Calgary); Dave (and Janet, of Toronto); and Sandie (and Toby, of Charndon, Buckinghamshire, England). She is also survived by her four grandchildren: Courtney (Deon), Eric, Parker and Finn; two great-grandchildren, Hunter and Erberlie; and her sister, Barbara Atkinson. She was predeceased by her brothers Jim and John.

Beryl’s family wishes to thank the many health professionals who worked tirelessly and compassionately over the past weeks and months to extend Beryl’s life and, in the end, provide comfort and dignity in her death. We especially wish to thank the staff of Agapé Hospice in Calgary for their loving care.

A Memorial Service will be held at Foster’s Garden Chapel, 3220 – 4 Street N.W., Calgary, Alberta (across from Queen’s Park Cemetery) on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m.

For those wishing to attend virtually, please use the join webcasting link below.

In lieu of flowers, we would appreciate donations to the Salvation Army Agapé Hospice through their website at http://agapehospice.ca/funding-donations/, Scleroderma Canada through their website at https://www.scleroderma.ca/donate, or the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, through their website at https://www.heartandstroke.ca/donations.