Sheila Serafini, born May 10, 1929 in Ottawa, Ontario to parents Alfred and Monica Kavanagh, passed away of pneumonia on November 28, 2020 at the Rockyview Hospital in Calgary. Sheila was predeceased by her loving husband Redo (Buck), whom she missed terribly; her brothers, Paul and John Kavanagh; and her great-granddaughter, Rose.

She will be greatly missed by her children Susan, Andrew (Karen), Peter (Chris) and Paula (Wallace); grandchildren Ann (Andrew), Paul, John (Kristen), Peter, Mary, Teresa, Michael, Natalie, Anthony (Kelley), Luke (Laura) and Jeremy (Katie); great-grandchildren Damien, Vivian, Marcella, Felicity, Judah and Caleb; and her dear sister Anne (Garry) Guzzo of Ottawa. Sheila was a great letter writer for most of her life, and kept in close touch with both sides of our family.

Before getting married, Sheila did some nurses training at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, and worked for a short time at the National Museum of Canada. Buck and Sheila moved to Alberta in 1953 after their marriage in Ottawa, raised their family in Calgary, then retired to Victoria, where they enjoyed walking the beaches of Cordova Bay, collecting sea glass, and playing lots of bridge.

Sheila was an avid reader, crossword solver, walker, knitter (cozy sweaters and mitts for all), and card player – known for claiming "I don't know how to play this game" before cleaning our clocks! She loved reading with us and encouraging us with our schoolwork – there were always stacks of library books in the house, as well as home-baked cookies and her specially decorated pies. Sheila focused on family but enriched her life by taking classes, like Italian, French, ballroom dancing, math, and cooking.

Sheila loved spending time at Banff and Lake Louise and we often had wiener roasts in the mountains. She was always up on family and current events – it was greatly important to her to know how all the kids and grandkids were doing. She loved us all very much and we will miss her deeply.

We are grateful for the compassionate care given Mom at the Rockyview Hospital (Unit 72), and at the United Active Living Garrison Green community, where she lived in recent years.

At her request, there will be no formal memorial service. Donations in her name may be made to the Calgary Food Bank (www.calgaryfoodbank.com).  No flowers please.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Sheila Theresa Serafini, please visit our Tree Store.

Calgary Food Bank
5000 11 Street SE, Calgary AB T2H 2Y5
Tel: 1-403-253-2059
Email: info@calgaryfoodbank.com
Web: https://www.calgaryfoodbank.com/