Alma Mansell

Early Sunday morning she slowly and peacefully slipped away from us on May 16, 2021 at 86 years of age. She valiantly fought a two-year battle with lung cancer.

Born in 1934 and the youngest of ten, Alma was born and raised on a farm near Orion, Alberta. As a farm girl she developed a love for animals. Her first love was her horse Belle. Together they were masters of the cattle round up at the end of each day.

As a teenager, she managed several local diners owned by her brother, Chris. She would later work at Edmonton’s Petroleum Club. She loved cooking and her pecan pies were a family and firefighter favourite.

Her home in Edmonton was seldom without a dog or two. She enjoyed bird watching and was fascinated with hummingbirds. Although she loved birds, she definitely loved baby birds more than nest raiding hawks. She once heard a ruckus in the backyard and saw a hawk raiding a sparrow’s nest.

Before you could say Annie Oakley, Alma’s eagle eye and her trusty BB rifle, convinced the raider to give up its breakfast. Alma’s family now had a new found fear and respect.

Alma met her husband Frank in 1952 at a diner she managed in Medicine Hat. Their first date, which included a high speed chase, was epic and the two were destined to be lifelong partners. Married in 1953, they soon moved to Edmonton and raised four wonderful children. She was also a caring foster parent for ten years to more than fifty infants and toddlers.

Alma loved shopping and legend has it that, after a day of frenzied shopping in the states, the price of K-mart stock took an unprecedented single-day bump. Alma also loved organization and Post-it Note pads. These little yellow stickies were found in every room – even in the bathroom. The refrigerator door was a favourite target, but other vertical surfaces in the house were never safe.

After Frank retired from the Edmonton Fire Department, they found a winter home at the Desert Aire RV resort in Indio. After 25-years of snow birding, Alma and Frank aka Baby and Buddy settled down in White Rock.

Alma is survived by the love of her life and husband of 67 years Frank, her children Farrell (Sheryl) of Concord, CA; Jim (Donna) of Sherwood Park, Alberta; Monica (Steve) of White Rock, BC, and Sheila (Amanda) of Vancouver, BC. She is also survived by sisters Marion and Olga, five grandchildren (Ben, Lindsey, Ari, Hudi, and Vanessa), and six great-grandchildren (Felix, Andrew, Patrick, Izzy, Ely, and Tia). Alma was predeceased by her parents John and Justine, her sisters Adela, Pauline, Bertha, Violet and her brothers Albert, Chris, and Fred.

We love her and will miss her hugs and jokes but most of all we’ll miss her unconditional love.

The Mansell family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to the many health professionals who helped and cared for Alma and our family through this especially difficult time.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Alma’s Memory to the Edmonton Firefighters Burn Treatment Society (www.efbts.ca)