ALANNA MARIELLE MCGEE STANKO

Condolences & Memories (9 entries)

• I think Alanna had her wings long before her spirit flew from this earth. She truly was a spirit destined to soar! We lived across the street from one another on Healy for a number of years and attended Burland School together. The memories I have of her are full of nothing but laughter and light. We sat in the back corner of Mrs. Woloshyn’s grade seven class and laughed hysterically for hours! That was who Alanna was – no matter what you were going through or what the day held – she managed to fill it with humour. Twenty years later, I still remember the things we laughed about or how’d we’d both discuss the latest episode of X-Files come Monday morning. I remember how sad we all were when Alanna moved to the other side of town and switched schools at the end of grade seven. We even “sponsored” her to come back for one of our grade eight dances, because if Alanna was there, you knew it would be a great time! I also remember how wonderful it was to run into Alanna at U of W back in 2003. With Alanna it was a soul to soul connection – no matter how long it had been - it was like no time had passed at all. I was very sad to learn of her passing as she had so much to offer this world! Those of us that knew her were truly blessed. Enjoy those wings, my friend, you’ve earned them! I look forward to laughing with you again on the other side… - Posted by: Angie (Friend) on: Nov 07, 2017

• One time when Alanna and James were quite young around month of December-we were out as a family for dinner and decided to check out the xmas light display at the downs. We pull up to the gate and I ask the cashier what charge to get in---well I guess I had a brain freeze- I said " thats too much " There was a car behind us so I proceeded through the gate entrance and there we were going around the xmas light display circuit- well , our Alanna quickly picked up on the humour of the situation and started mimicking her dad's reply at the gate- was it a plan ? maybe--we enjoyed the xmas light display and the ride home was full of laughter with Alanna and her brother mimicking my reply at gate to get in free-- a lasting memory- Alanna at her best was always a joy to be with- her cheerful vibrant personality would always make me feel that life is good- will miss you Lana until we meet again-- your Dad xox - Posted by: john stanko (father) on: Oct 30, 2017

• I remember meeting Alanna when we went to Darwin school together and we quickly became friends... we were always going on adventures together no matter where we were... inside, outside, my house, her house..... one adventure in particular I remember is when there were new houses being built across the street from where she lived at the time... we decided it would be so cool to go and explore inside these houses... so we did.. we climbed through a hole made for a window and we ran around that vacant ( un-safe ) house.. I remember Alanna's leg falling through a small hole in the floor and we both froze and just looked at eachother and laughed ... we then noticed we had tar all over us.. now how would we explain this to her Mom? I don't remember how we did explain it I just remember telling her nope we never went into any of those houses and she seemed to believe us. Another story that sticks with me is one her mom told us actually.. I remember this day like it was yesterday.. we were out on the back deck at their house in River Point and she had this beautiful plant .. ( I believe it was a bleeding heart ) She told us this beautiful story to go with this plant and she took one of the pink flowers off the plant and let the flower tell such a beautiful story. Alanna and I tried on many occasions to re-tell that story and I've tried to tell it to my kids as well however it has never been as special as it was that day... When Alanna moved I remember just how sad we both were that she was moving but we promised to remain close friends... it worked for a few years, I was at all her birthday's she invited me to and she was at all of mine.. but as we got older and older we just drifted apart... a few years later when I was in the area of her house I went and knocked on the door only to find strangers living in the house.. I never saw her again.. A few years ago we re-connected on Facebook but sadly never got to meet up in person. Colleen and James, my condolences to you both I will miss you my old friend - Posted by: Chantal Boissonneault (Childhood Friend) on: Oct 17, 2017

• Colleen I was so sorry to hear the sudden loss of your dear daughter Alanna. And for James the loss of your dear sister. She is with the angels soaring high! Doug and Family. - Posted by: Doug (Family Friend) on: Oct 10, 2017

• Sadly, I didn't meet Alanna due to broken family ties. I'm not blood related but through my step sister Elizabeth, I'm heart related and so very sad for the loss. From the small amount I've learnt, she was a bright light and the world will miss her energy. ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️ - Posted by: Cheryl Scott (Cousin ) on: Oct 09, 2017

• The happiest day of my life was when I first held my baby daughter in my arms. She was named Alanna, which stands for Fair, Bright & Beautiful. She was all these things! From an early age as a toddler, she was witty and loved to tease and test me. I would spend hours dancing with her in my arms as I sang to her the songs I loved . As she grew, she never forgot those songs and held them close to her heart. We did silly things together, like put rubber gloves on our feet and do what we called the Chicken Dance to our favorite tunes and we would laugh and laugh and laugh. She loved animals and slept with our Burmese Cat, Ko Ko. He would stay nestled in her arms until I went to bed, where he then would join me. When her brother James came along 20 months later, she was ecstatic. She loved him from the moment she saw him and actually taught him his first words : "Duck Duck". Alanna would put on a sun visor hat, pulling it down over her face to form a bill. Then she would leap around his crib, popping up from her hiding place and say "Duck Duck". Playing and teasing with him, she did from that day forward, always play the kibitzer. Being not quite 2 yrs. she was unable to say James and called her brother Dame. She grew up and was loved well by family and friends alike. We moved a few times and she found it hard to change schools and friends. There was turmoil in her life in her teen years, which changed her forever. She wasn't as carefree and more secluded. She tried to move forward in life, but found it hard. She took Modelling and was in Drama. She went to University and took Criminology, but did not find the satisfaction she sought. She wrote many a verse, which I hold dear to this day. Her life was short, but, she would have been at peace finally. Alanna was fragile and delicate with a heart of gold, giving, caring, steadfast in her personal choices. I loved her more than life itself and shall forever miss her sweet smile and child like ways. No one made me as happy as she did, no one ever will. She was a ray of sunshine in my life that has now dimmed and gone. No replacing that wonderfulness she was to me, her Mom! My heart will never be whole again from this day forward! My love will remain constant through time, forever! xoxo - Posted by: Colleen M. McGee (Mother) on: Oct 03, 2017

• I met Alanna early in 2010 a very slight and beautiful young woman. She exuded an aura of well...... purity. A childlike innocence and young demeanour coupled with an indifference, a sort of twilight zone awareness that the real world existed somewhere else for her. As the years passed and I learned of her and her trials and tribulations I realised that under all of the outward facades that she showed the world and behaviours she used to deal with her reality at her very core she was pure of heart and faithful and true, loving her mother and brother and father with a love only a child can have. Endlessly forgiving, and never faltering in the face of despair. A few days before she left us she came to visit her Mom and her angelic core was in full evidence, and angel in life she is an angel forever and the world is darker and colder without her. - Posted by: Peter Patrie (friend) on: Sep 27, 2017

• Alanna and I went to high school together. I still remember the first day she came. For someone so small she had a real presence--and a lot of confidence. We were both in the theatre program at Westwood. I enjoyed working with her very much. She was a good actress. That great deep radio voice made for some memorable performances, especially as Galileo in Brechtfest (2002). She also played a role in a short play that I wrote. She was a good femme fatale. We also took the bus together each day. Two memories. The first was one day when she was wearing a leopard print top. A man with some mental health issues got on and made a beeline for her. "It's a leopard girl from the jungle" he shouted! Then he started singing "who let the dogs out." It was such an awkward situation, especially for a teenager but I remember that Alanna treated him with such dignity. It was beautiful. I remember another time when another, older man was flirting with her on the bus. I moved over to where she was sitting, put my arm around her and said "Hey babe, how's it going?" He left pretty quickly. She was a sweet girl and a lot of fun. Although you do not know me please accept my condolences and know that my prayers are with your family. - Posted by: Marc Moir (Friend) on: Sep 25, 2017

• Dear Colleen: My heart goes out to you at this time. Sarah and I will always remember Alanna. Hope you stay strong and find comfort. - Posted by: Vicki Riley () on: Sep 23, 2017