It is with great sadness the family announces the passing of our beloved Brenda at home on Tuesday, December 11th, 2012 in her 58th year. Dearly beloved wife of Andy of 33 years. Loving mother of Sam (Lyndsey) and Ben (Megan). Adoring grandmother of Elizabeth, Abigail, and Wyatt. Dear sister of Sandra Lamb (Rod), Bill (Cathy), Wanda, Tammy (Rich) and Tracey. Daughter of the late Sam and Viola Bowers and daughter-in-law of Martin and (late Trudy). Sister-in-law of Mary (Herb), Bets (Joe) and Frank (Gail). Will be missed by her many nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Visitation will be held at the OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Friday, December 14th from 2-4 & 7-9 pm. A Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday, December 15th at HOLY FAMILY CATHOLIC CHURCH (91 Ribblesdale Dr. Whitby) at 10:30 a.m
Eulogy for Brenda Scheepers, December 15th 2012.
I was honoured to be asked by Andy to give today’s Eulogy.
We have come together to support one another and to give thanks and celebrate the life of Brenda Faith Bowers Scheepers
My condolences to you the family and friends of Brenda. Today, we come to say good-bye to our dear Brenda.
We gather in a loving community to remember her in our own way, and reflect on the life she had and how she impacted our life.
Our individual memories of Brenda, the very things which will give us the hope and the courage to go forward and to create a new normal in our lives.
Who was Brenda?
Brenda was someone more special than words. She was love mixed with friendship, and on the day she married Andy, it was now love, bonded with hope, thanks, and joy.
She was beauty and lasting togetherness, and there was no one more precious in the world. Brenda inspired many
special moments in the family. She shared with Andy everything you could imagine. Brenda was a treasured daughter, sister, wife and mother, mother in law, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, grandmother, aunt, cousin and friend. Her family would have wished for at least a million more moments with their beloved Brenda, Or perhaps just one more moment, but that wasn’t to be.
We are reminded of the blessings that came to each one of us as a result of our relationship with Brenda.
Brenda was the Blessing, and a phenomenal gift to each of us here. She learned about life with her late parents Sam and Vi Bowers. She experienced life as a sister with her favourite brother Bill and her four awesome sisters Sandra, Wanda, Tammy and Tracey.
Brenda and Andy, Andy and Brenda together learned about life as a married couple from one another. Together they brought two beautiful sons into the world.
Ben and Sam you were your mother’s world. Together Brenda and Andy nurtured their love of one another and the love they developed as parents in their two sons.
She was a loving mother and wife. And when she heard that she was going to become a grandmother....Oh My Goodness, Brenda was over the moon.
And when the babies started to arrive, she was in her glory. Spending precious moments with her sons and their families. She was so in love with you! she couldn’t get enough of those beautiful little children.
She seriously learned about life together with her family, and siblings and her cousins and friends.
Her role as a wife was exemplified with understanding and trust and evolved with love.
Brenda was a helper! When we needed her, she was there in a flash.
She could be a tough nut to crack, and her feelings ran very deep,
And as a mother she was protective and I think Sam and Ben knew that they were loved, and appreciated and as you grew older, Your mom was also proud of your accomplishments as mature men.
Brenda was the hub of the family. She worked hard with her husband to make her family tick.
Andy was the love of her life. Brenda often deferred to her husband....Andy says...Andy thinks....It made one realize her respect, trust and love for you Andy.... that there was no one else for her,,, she loved in the way a wife ... loves her husband. She was blessed to have you in her life.
A strong marriage, and a strong family. Brenda was a fun sister, who could at times also be a little brat. The amazing times spent with her parents and the stories. There were numerous chocolate cakes stories over the years, but she would never forget that Bill ate her chocolate cake while she was away having stitches in her lip.
And from that time on, ... Brenda made a point of know her chocolate cakes and different kinds of chocolate.
She also knew of the health benefits to eating dark chocolate. There was Brenda the young student and Brenda the banker when she started to work and then
Brenda the wine maker. Brenda the traveller in younger days with her cousin Cindy out west.
Brenda the traveller with Andy...the fun times spent in St. Maarten and road trips. Brenda the traveller and the shopper with the girls.
The Christmas shopping with her sister and Aunt Janet. The special gifts found for each of us. Brenda you were a great shopper and gift give. I will treasure your gifts forever. She had great style and flair. And we were the lucky recipients.
Now something about Brenda the sister.....
For Sandra, Bill, Wanda, Tracey and Tammy.
She was love mixed with friendship, the best things in life.
She had so much inner beauty blended together with an outward appearance that brings a smile to the happiness in your heart...
As a sister Brenda was one of the most precious people in the story of your life.
And you'll always be together now in spirit,
Together, you have shared some of the most special moments anyone could have ever shared.
A sister is a perspective on the past, and she's a million favourite memories that will always last.
A sister is a photograph that is one of your most treasured possessions.
She's a note or a chard that arrives on a special day, and when there's news to share, she's the first one you want to call.
A sister is a reminder of the blessings that come from closeness. Wanda you and Brenda were like peas in a pod.
And when you concentrate hard, she is still with you as you have already experienced.
Sharing secrets. Disclosing dreams. Learning about life together.
She was a dear sister and friend to you Sandra, Bill, Wanda, Tracey and Tammy.
Yes there were other relationships I would like to acknowledge.
Brenda was the loving mother in law to Megan and Lyndsey. I always remember the excitement of your wedding
Megan and the arrival of your babies.
Brenda the fabulous, loving grandmother to Elizabeth, Abigail, and Wyatt.
A special daughter in law to Martin and the late Trudy.
Sister-in-law of Mary (Herb), Bets (Joe) and Frank (Gail), and to Rod, Rich and myself.
Brenda the aunt will be missed by her many nieces, nephews.
She was a dear and wonderful friend. She was an integral part of life to so many here today. Brenda was like a sister to me.
And I would giggle when she would say her ‘Dutch’ words. I had fun with her trying to teach her how to knit.
She was a very important and fun part of our “Stitch n Bitch” group...were she loved to get together with the other Glitter Bags to knit,
we would solve all the problems of the world and socialize with her sisters Wanda, Sandra and her aunt Janet and her cousin Cindy and myself. We would drink tea, and chat, eat cake and chat some more, knit a little and bitch a little when the knitting didn’t go so well. Then we would snack some more and on heavy duty days we would have to break out the wine.
Brenda loved a good social event even when she would host it herself. She knew how to throw a party and would take great pride is having a memorable event.
A great deal of thought would go into Baby Showers and Birthday parties. And of course the chocolate cake.
Brenda loved the Birthday group of girls, who she had spent time with every month every since her boys were in hockey. They would get together and celebrate birthday of various members every month. She loved to bowl....with Leza and Tina in the Rainbow ladies bowling league
She loved spending time with sister and friends at their friends Jane’s cottage in Bancroft. She always looked forward to it, fun chatting, a time spent with her sister Wanda and her friends. Oh she loved it.
Fun times with neighbours Nancy and Barney and friends deep frying turkeys, on a special occasion. Or just sitting by the pool, relaxing in the back yard with a glass of wine.
She was the gracious hostess and cook of many festive Christmas Eve Dinners for the Scheepers clan.
Brenda had a sharp wit and could be brutally honest. And isn’t that what you want in a friend? After all you need to know where you stand.
She loved a good story....and she liked to read a good book. Lord of the Rings one of her favourite books and of course anything written by Steven King
Brenda love murder mysteries.....James Peterson....Patricia Cornwall.
Wanda said she liked to dress appropriately considering that she didn’t want to embarrass her sister. After all now that they were older she thought that they blended much more than when they were younger.
Then there was the cats....Spike, Butch, Holly and the dogs and Harry and Bam. Brenda’s face would light up when she saw them Stitch n Bitch girls would get together for the Ganz sale in Toronto,....always search out beautiful finds. And over the years we have collected some of the most beautiful Christmas ornaments.
Brenda was a social butterfly....she loved a good wedding....a good party and a good funeral. Always respectful and gracious, but she was always serious about the ‘funerial sandwiches served’ I am sure that she would have approved of todays spread. She could sometimes have such a sweet smile...especially when she had that lovely blue Tiffany bag in her hand.
Can you blame her? Ladies...we would all be smiling. But she deserved such smiles. She was a totally awesome lady. Who could from time to time....speak as trucker, with that sweet smile on her face. We at stitch and bitch loved it when she told a story ...
There were many happy times spent with Andy, Sam and Ben and their families. Also with her sister and brother, and with her extended family
Tracey told of a time when Brenda had bought her little sister a gift for Christmas. Tracey decided to open it up before Christmas and Brenda caught her in the act. Tracey said, what are you so worried about it’s only a silly night gown....Brenda snapped back, that isn’t a night gown it’s a dress!
I am reminded of the time Wanda and Brenda were fooling around in the kitchen and there happened to be chocolate cake cut for them. Well Wanda shoved Brenda and Brenda had to be rush off to the hospital to get stitches in her lip. When she returned Brenda looked for her cake only to find out that Bill had already eaten it.
Perhaps that explains why Brenda fired a ceramic swan at Bills large cranium? He saw stars when it exploded against his head. He didn’t know what hit him.
Brenda loved hats....a hat for all occasions. Wedding hat, going away hat, bathing caps, party hats, winter hats, sun hats...and that wonderful red winter hat with the flaps...she’d smile...and put on the hat and she would be happy. That is if she was able to find one that would fit. She always complained that they were too big, lol... I remember knitting her a hat to fit that head.
When you looked at the pictures that were shown yesterday, she looked so happy and so vibrant...She made a huge impact on us. And we will never forget that beautiful smile, and that happy voice.
Brenda had bowled with Rainbow league for the past 19 years. Did you know that she had two bowling balls, one named Butch and the other was Spike. When things would go bad, she would lock up her balls or lend them out... Hey wait a minute did she name her bowling balls after her cats?
This is a letter from Sandra....that she has asked me to read.
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I remember when mom & dad brought Brenda home from the hospital, a beautiful baby with huge brown eyes.
Wanda and Bill and I were fascinated with her and Wanda wanted to pick her up thinking she was a doll to play with.
We lived on Westmount Ave. in Oshawa when Brenda was born. Wanda & Brenda were close, except for the odd fight and Brenda & Cindy were like sisters....except for the odd fight.
I remember when Brenda met Andy and I seem to recall they walked and talked all night, it was obvious..... they were meant for each other.
I was with her the night she went into labour for Sam, Andy wasn't home so I took her to the hospital in my car.
The hospital was only about a block away but she didn't want to walk......I can't imagine why.
I heard Sam's first cry from the waiting room..........and thought, my baby sister just had a baby. Ben came next and they had their precious family.
We just had our Christmas girls get-together and had such a good time........it was like old times...........full of laughter. I had drawn Brenda's name for 'secret Santa' and found a beautiful box for her gift.
She spotted that box under the tree as soon as she came in and commented on it, little knowing it held her gift.
I can still see her sitting on the sofa, full of joy and happiness. We love you Brenda and will miss you forever.
The chain will link again............your big sister, Sandra.
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Yes Brenda was brave, strong, lovable, sociable, outspoken, fun, courageous, and did I say brave?
When she went through her health issues nearly a year ago, she worked in earnest to get her hand working again. And she did it.
She was looking forward to going away with Andy after Christmas. They were planning a 3 week road trip. But all the planning and anticipation has now come abruptly to a halt.
The best laid plans of mice and men don’t always work out the way we plan.
When on Tuesday, December 11 Brenda took her last breath. God knows our pain, and He knows when we can’t go on.
My faith and belief is strong. And I believe that our Brenda has gone on before us ... to check out heaven for us.
To find her Mom and Dad and Trudy. She’ll be there waiting for us when it is our time.
Brenda, dear girl....you will be missed by all.
But we have to remember to hold onto the precious memories that we each have shared with you.
And know that our life here on earth is not the end. But the beginning of life everlasting.
We need to remember that we are each an angel with only one wing, and it is only when we embrace another that we can fly.
Rest in Peace dear Brenda, until we meet again, we will hold you in our hearts forever.
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