IRENE PHYLLIS URSELL (MOTTA)

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IRENE PHYLLIS URSELL (nee MOTTA) Irene Ursell, beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, died in the early morning hours of Tuesday, March 18. She was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, on January 30, 1917, into a Scottish-Italian family of nine children. She was particularly close to her sisters Grace and Anne. She married Barry Ursell on April 2, 1942, and they were kept apart in the early years of their marriage because of the Second World War. They celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary last July with family and friends and would have celebrated their 66th anniversary in a few weeks. Family members were with her when she died, all of them listening to her favorite music. Irene devoted much of her life to raising seven children, Geoffrey (Barbara); Greg (Marilyn) and their children, Stephanie and Michael; Gary (Helen), and their children Meaghan and Emily; Patricia; Kathy (Ted), and their children Melissa, Matthew, and Meredith; Janice; and George (Joanne), and their children Jennifer, Shaun, Bryan, and Robert. They will always remember and treasure her encouragement and love. Her children particularly recall the work she did to make their summer holidays in Waskesiu memorable. Somehow, Irene found time to volunteer with both the IODE and the Things Shop of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet Women's Committee. She was an active member of IODE for over fifty years, serving in many roles, including Provincial Regent. She was a Lifelong Member at both provincial and national levels. Her love of ballet and music pervaded her life. Perhaps, she got her enthusiasm for opera from her Italian heritage. A particular highlight was seeing Leontyne Price at Covent Garden. In a previous life, she recently said, she imagined she had been an opera singer; in a next life, she imagined being a visual artist. She loved to draw. She also partnered her husband in mixed doubles in badminton, winning Saskatchewan Provincial Championships. And she was a passionate bowler, active into her sixties. She played hearts, bridge, cribbage, and Scrabble intensely-and she didn't take losing easily. Irene's family would like to thank Dr. David Szwajcer and nurse Jennifer Fisher-Cote for their compassionate care. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, March 22, at 11:00 a.m. at Thomson Funeral Home, 669 Broadway in Winnipeg. Friends wishing to celebrate her memory may make donations to the Canadian Wildlife Federation at 1-800-563-9453 or 350 Michael Cowpland Drive, Kanata, ON K2M 2W1 or the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, 175 Bloor Street E., Suite 700, North Tower Toronto, ON M4W 3R8. Life stories may be shared with friends and family across the globe at www.mem.com THOMSON FUNERAL HOME 669 Broadway~783-7211 www.thomsonfuneralhome.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Mar 20, 2008