It is with sad but grateful hearts that we say our final goodbyes to Marion Anne Mirtle, a beautiful person. She can now rest after many years of suffering the ravages of Rheumatoid Arthritis, having fought her final battle with Lymphoma.
Marion was born in Edmonton, AB in the Great Depression years, raised and schooled in Newcastle - Drumheller, AB. Blessed with a fine mind, a fierce and resolute spirit, and a compassionate heart, she left Drumheller to pursue training as a registered nurse at the Holy Cross Hospital in Calgary, AB. While still a nursing student she met the man who was to be the love of her life for 62 years, Robert (Bob) Mirtle, whom she married in November 1958. Their lives were blessed by four children in whom she instilled a love of God, nature and all creatures great and small, the importance of learning and education, and strong values: loyalty, dedication, hard work, and perseverance. She nurtured her young family through a number of moves from Calgary to Edmonton, St. Albert, Winnipeg, and Kamloops. She and Bob made their final move to Crescent Beach-White Rock where they have resided since 1981. Marion set her career aside until 1975 when she sailed through a refresher course and returned to nurse at the Royal Inland Hospital (Kamloops), Peace Arch Hospital, and Green Haven Care Centre until 1991. She had the courage of her convictions in her advocacy for the many patients under her watch. Despite the restrictions increasingly posed by her arthritis, Marion loved her bountiful garden, bowling, cards (cribbage and bridge), sudoku, needlepoint, knitting, travels with Bob in their R.V. across Canada, Alaska, and the U.S. as well as multiple fondly-remembered trips to Hawaii. She took pride in any chance she could get to make beautiful knitwear, teach a word or phrase in Ukrainian, introduce her grandchildren to different card games, prepare a delicious meal or baking for visiting family. Above all, she relished any opportunity to watch her beloved Calgary Stampeders play football. Marion looked forward to the occasional wager, telling a good joke and had an infectious laugh.
Marion is survived by her loving and devoted husband Robert Mirtle, her brother Nick (Olga) Sereda, her sister Joyce Nelson, her children Brian Mirtle (Mary), Linda Mirtle (Scott Rudyk), Donna Gilchrist (Derek), and Janet Mirtle-Stroman (Patrick), and her grandchildren: Alexander & Ryan Mirtle, Kyla & Elizabeth Gilchrist, and Felicity-Anne, Liam, and Clara Stroman and numerous nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her father, Joseph, her mother Helen, brothers Joe and Peter, nephew Philip, brother-in-law Jack and sister-in-law Valerie.
The family wish to acknowledge their debt of gratitude to the physicians and nurses on the ACE unit at Peace Arch Hospital who worked respectfully alongside them to make Marion’s last days as meaningful, comfortable, and pain free as possible.
Cremation has taken place; due to the current Covid19 restrictions, a memorial service with interment at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre in Surrey, B.C.will be scheduled for a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Marion’s memory can be made to the Arthritis Society, the Canadian Cancer Society, or a charity of your choice.
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