Elva Fay Redston

She was born in a small town in Manitoba in 1931. Fay was the baby of the family, predeceased by her older siblings Murray and Geraldine. Fay described a wonderful childhood, with lots of freedom, ice skating, and dances in the neighboring town. At 17, she taught all grades at a one-room schoolhouse in Manitoba. Some of her students were her own age or older. Fay was a compassionate and caring person, and the experience of helping her mother through bouts of back pain led her to choose a career in nursing.

She graduated from the nursing program at Winnipeg General Hospital in 1952 and remained friends with many of her classmates for almost 70 years. She met Gordon Redston at a party in 1953 and married him three months later. Gordon was with the Royal Air Force and had been attending a training course in Manitoba. They lived briefly in England before settling back in Canada in 1955 where they started their family. While raising their three children, Fay and Gordon moved across Canada many times in support of Gordon’s work, and they lived in Winnipeg, Vancouver, and Toronto. That did not stop Fay from completing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, graduating with honors from the University of Toronto.

The ’70s were a time of major change for Fay. Newly separated, and with three children, she returned to work as a nurse at Women's College Hospital in Toronto. She gave her best to her children and carved a new identity for herself at work. When her youngest child was nearly finished High School, she pursued a long-held goal to move back to Vancouver. She bought a house and continued her nursing career at Vancouver General Hospital. Fay also enjoyed her work as an Industrial Nurse at Eaton’s in both Toronto and Vancouver, where she made many good friends. Her last job as a nurse was with the VON and she retired in 1996.

Retirement brought a sense of adventure and freedom. She traveled the world with family and friends and was not afraid to explore on her own. She stayed in youth hostels and elder hostels and enjoyed meeting new people and making friends. She joined a hiking group back home in Vancouver, making new friends with whom she would explore trails on the North Shore for many years. When hiking became too challenging, she enjoyed monthly lunches with her group at the Locus Restaurant in Vancouver. She also supported many charities and was an active volunteer with Meals on Wheels.

Fay loved food and family dinners, but what she really enjoyed was watching others cook for her. Fay also loved animals and had many pets, including a crazy dog named Sam. She even adopted and cared for her children’s pets and loved them as her own. Her last companion and pet was a cat named Smokey, who passed earlier this year at the age of seventeen.

Fay was an outstanding mother. She was kind and supportive and allowed her children the freedom to explore. She also inspired a love of nature and the outdoors and took her children on many camping, skiing, and travel adventures. She trusted they would become responsible adults, even when it looked doubtful. The skills her children have as parents themselves were a gift from her.

Her support as a mother continued even as her children became young adults. The door to her home was always open and she helped guide her children through university and start their own careers and families. She was a wonderful grandmother to her eight grandchildren in Vancouver and Boston, and a caring aunt to her nephew, who could always make her laugh. Her love for her family was limitless.

Fay will be remembered for her independent spirit, strength, generosity, and dedication to family. The other traits that she exemplified - kindness, discretion, discipline, and a strong work ethic - are often overlooked. For her family and friends, they will never be forgotten.