Shelagh Elsie Hodgins

July 3rd, 1939 - October 19th, 2024

Shelagh, beloved wife of Garry; beautiful mother to Karen and Jessie; cherished Grandmother to Stephanie (Nick) Rowan, Daunte and Cory; and great grandmother to Owen, Katie, Joel, Michael and Sam - went to heaven on Saturday, October 19th, 2024, to reunite with God, and her family and friends who had gone before her. Shelagh was lovingly referred to as Baba from her grandchildren; and not because she was Ukrainian! No, Shelagh was Scottish! But rather because Stephanie called her that as a baby and it stuck!

Psalms 46 tells us "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" and I am humbled to report that this has been our experience as we learn to rely on our faith in Shelagh's spiritual presence as we adjust to the absence of her pretty face that we all loved and still love so much.

Shelagh brought a passionate conscientiousness to all that she did. As a young lady Shelagh worked as an elevator operator at Eatons in downtown Vancouver. Shelagh was born in Winnipeg; however, her family was transferred many times while growing up, as her dad, George was an airline mechanic for Air Canada. Shelagh and her mom, also named Jessie, apparently giggled so often together at the dinner table George would become annoyed with the silly twosome. Perhaps all the moving as a child was why Shelagh was quick to introduce herself, make friends and volunteer her time throughout her life, always enthusiastic to take on a job and get involved.

Shelagh was the "Brown Owl" for Karen and Jessie's Brownie pack when they were little, besides running them all over Burnaby to piano lessons, Karen to art lessons and Jessie to ballet class, recitals, exams and concerts. Shelagh was a talented seamstress and sewed for her mother Jessie, Garry's mother Ruby, herself and most definitely "The Girls" as she lovingly (and sometimes not so lovingly) referred to us! From Jessie's ballet costumes, to back to school clothes and especially at Christmastime, Karen and Jessie would always have the most beautiful dresses sewn with love to celebrate the holidays in. Shelagh was also very talented at entertaining and made beautiful fancy sandwiches and squares and scrumptious meals with Garry's help for afternoon and dinner gatherings. Everything they made was delicious and the table glorious. A memory we will always cherish is the two of them working away together in the kitchen on one thing or another.

Shelagh was active in the Parent Teacher Advisory Committee when Karen and Jessie were in elementary school often balancing volunteer positions with her professional and home life. Somehow managing to never neglect one or the other. Always smartly dressed and organized to a T. She was a dynamo.

One of Mom's most memorable jobs was at Calblecom, a cablevision company in the early days of cable TV, where she dispatched "umpteen" men, handled customer service and anything else her boss Gord required of her. She was very proud of this job and spoke of those memories fondly on into her golden years.

Another very special chapter of Shelagh's life was the time she spent in Job's Daughters. She was installed as Honoured Queen of Bethel No. 1 at Grandview Masonic Lodge in Vancouver from January 22 to June 14, 1958. It was during her service at Job's Daughters that Shelagh, met Garry Hodgins, and at age 17 became the true love of her life. Garry was serving in his local chapter of Demolay, and offered the pretty and fun-loving Shelagh a ride home from a bowling event they both attended, and as they say, "the rest is history".

Garry and Shelagh were 15 days shy of their 64th wedding anniversary when she grew her wings. Very few people can say they have been blessed with a passionately loving marriage until "death do us part". This pair were often seen exchanging "I love you's" and many hugs and kisses throughout the day for all the years they were wed. They were the best of friends and sweethearts to the end and beyond.

Together, Garry and Shelagh discovered the joy of Scottish Country dancing in the 1970's, and they shared this wonderful pastime well into their 80's! Shelagh and Garry danced their way far and wide with their group of dancers, even being featured once on a newspaper cover in Australia! Shelagh and Garry enjoyed retirement, traveling extensively over the years to too many countries to name! What a gift. On Sept 19th exactly one month before earning her wings, Shelagh and Garry strolled on the very beach where they had frolicked as teenagers. The summer cabin that Garry's family built in 1949 at Point Roberts, Washington was where Shelagh spent many memorable summers with Garry and with Garry's mother Ruby and his father Al. Ruby took Shelagh under her wing as a true daughter as Shelagh had lost her mother at the young age of twenty-eight after just becoming a new mother herself. This would not have been difficult for her mother-in-law, as Shelagh was delightful in too many ways to mention. The two were as close as any mother and daughter could be.

And your daughters thank you Mom for always fostering our spiritual lives and instilling such good values in us. What will we do without our dear Shelagh? We will celebrate her in our lives as the precious gift she was to all of us- and recall the lyrics of one of Shelagh's favourite songs from her favourite recording artist Vera Lynn:

"We'll meet again- don't know where- don't know when- but I know we'll meet again some sunny day..."

Until then Shelagh, rest, or more likely skip and roller skate and run and dance in paradise. This is how we will remember you, in youthful freedom and expansive joy.