Barbara Louise Thomas
August 12th, 2011
On Friday, August 12th, Debbie peacefully left this world after a long and adventuresome life. Predeceased by her mother and father, Margaret and George Thomas, and her sister Georgina, she is survived by sisters Peggy and Sandy and her many close friends and caregivers. Debbie was known and loved for her smiles, friendliness and gentle yet strong character, as well as her fondness of Tim Horton’s coffee. Special thanks for the exceptional care given by Ward 51, Peter Lougheed Hospital, as well as Debbie’s extended family members—Jeannette, Astor, Lena and Shirley—and her caregivers, notably Deborah, Liz, Adam, and Daniel. We invite everyone to bring pictures, stories and happy memories to a celebration of Debbie’s life at the Sheraton Hotel, 2520-32nd Avenue N.E. Calgary on Wednesday, August 24th, at 12:30 p.m.. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Calgary Society of Community Opportunities Program, 102, 2616 – 18 Street NE, Calgary, Alberta T2E 7R1 or www.cscocalgary.com. would be appreciated.
Messages of condolence may be left for the family.
Messages:
Sorry to read of Debbie's passing - Please accept my sympathy. Would like to hear from you when you have time -- since my Mother died I don't get news of your side of the Perry family.
Hello Marjorie ... it was so good of you to write; I'm very glad to hear from you and will pass your note on to Peggy. Yes, it seems that notwithstanding presumably superior communication modes through the digital revolution, there are so many instances where we lose touch. As I was going through things that I kept after mum's death, I found a family tree--not sure who started and worked on it but what a gift! It is so important, and we are so lucky to have such connections. Peggy will not be able to make it to the service as she has grandchildren she is looking after while their parents (her son and wife) are at a wedding--they will be up near Athabasca where they have a cottage at Island Lake. Peggy has 7 grandchildren, which is pretty wonderful given the fact that she was at one point assuming that her kids would either never get married or become childless couples ... so she's very happy. They are both retired and spend their time between St. Albert and on Vancouver Island, where their oldest daughter is married with one son, aged 2 years. We are all going on a Disney cruise (I can't quite believe it!) in October. Typically Peg and her kids and grandkids have all gone to Maui in the fall but this time they decided to take a cruise, so it will be quite an experience for Mark and I. I'm living at Fallis on Lake Wabamun which is about a 45 minute drive west of Edmonton, with my husband Mark and 4 English Setters--they are our "kids" though the youngest now is 10 years old. We have projects in Edmonton and I also teach at MacEwan University, so life is pretty hectic. Our sister Barbara had a long and, I think, meaningful life: she lived to be almost 55 years old which is a tribute to her strength of character and determination. I have been speaking to her caregivers and extended family members over the past week and piecing together a puzzle that is now taking shape. I think that Barbara had excellent caregivers, and I'm looking forward to meeting them tomorrow at the service. We have some regrets and I will never forget how hard it was for mum to have Barbara placed in special care. Neither mum nor I ever saw or met Barbara; however I remember mum baking and wrapping gifts at birthdays, Christmas and such and dad and Peggy and Georgina taking them to the special home where Barbara lived. I saw a few pictures, but that was all, and we were told that given Barbara's condition, she was living in the best possible situation. It has been very enlightening speaking to caregivers, and it's very evident that they were very empathetic and special people. We would love to know more about your life, and again, thank you so much for your thoughtful note. Best regards, Sandy Gunderson Fallis, Alberta