With sadness, we say goodbye to a wonderful mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Mom was born in Ottawa, Ontario to Louis and Mary Raymond. She was the youngest of 12 children (4 died at childbirth). Mom's early years were spent in Ottawa eventually moving to Montreal to begin working. It was in Montreal where she met our Dad (Edward Lewis - May 17,1927 - Nov 15, 2012). After a short romance, they were married on September 11, 1954, a union that lasted almost 60 years. In Montreal seven children followed in quick succession. Tom (Karen), Red Deer; Dave Calgary; Linda (Gary), Nanaimo BC: Jane (Kevin), Perth, Australia; Sue (Dana), Toronto; Jim (Kathy), Alfriston, UK; John (Fiona), Toronto.

We said goodbye to Montreal when Dad accepted a transfer to Saint John, New Brunswick. This started a whole new chapter in their lives. They absolutely loved the Maritimes spending all their free time exploring and experiencing the Maritime culture. When the kids had all eventually married and scattered across Canada and the world, Mom and Dad made the difficult decision to leave the Maritimes and move to Calgary to be closer to family. By this time, Dad had retired. They took to Calgary and the west with the same zeal shown in the Maritimes. They explored the west by car, took in their grandkids' sports and bought bikes making daily excursions exploring Calgary. Mom and Dad were blessed with numerous grandkids and great grandkids that visited often and kept them busy.

Mom loved to have her family around, loved to cook up meals and feed her lot. There was always a bottle of homemade wine to bless the table and to share while seated in the family room reminiscing and catching up on family stories. Time catches up with everyone. Dad passed on in 2012 and Mom was displaying signs of cognitive decline. After battling the demons of Alzheimer's for several years Mom eventually succumbed and passed peacefully in her sleep surrounded by her family. We will miss you Mom!

A special thank you to all the nursing aides, nurses and staff at the Brentwood Care Facility who provided such loving support to our mom.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Alzheimer Society of Canada. A celebration of my Mom's life will take place this summer.