PHYLLIS MAY

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PHYLLIS MAY McGRATH November 6, 1912 to September 6, 2005 Phyllis passed away recently, in Victoria, after a brief illness. Phyllis was born in Manitoba where she met her first husband Jack Thomson with whom she raised their three children. Later in life Phyllis, as a widow, married her loving partner, Larry McGrath who also predeceased her. Phyllis enjoyed an engaging and varied career with such positions as a writer with the Manitoba Hydro, and Editor of Publications with the Manitoba Department of Agriculture where she was the editor of The Prairie Garden magazine for 10 years. She was president of the Women's Advertising and Sales Club of Winnipeg, and also served on a panel of the United Way. Phyllis and Larry retired to Victoria in 1980 where Phyllis was a member of the Saanich Hospital Auxiliary and the Anglican Church Women of Brentwood Bay. Phyllis and Larry loved to have their grandchildren visit them for summer holidays, first in Winnipeg and then in Victoria. With six children between them, Larry and Phyllis enjoyed many grandchildren over many years. Phyllis was an accomplished artiste with many paintings hanging in the homes of her children, grandchildren and friends. She was a published writer since her teenage years and loved to write travel articles of trips with Larry, for the local newspapers. Although health problems often beset her, Phyllis never stopped being a doer - still living on her own, driving until she was 90, becoming efficient on her laptop at 90, and chasing down a favourite topic of genealogy. Her children used to laugh when they would receive the same e-mail message several times, because they knew their Mother loved to pound the 'send' button repeatedly just to make sure that the message was sent. Phyllis always loved politics and read extensively, keeping up to the latest political issues around the world. For Christmas of 2004, Phyllis flew to Winnipeg to visit family, and then to Calgary, for a New Year's party with a grandson and his family. A special funny memory from Cathy McGrath related to her by her sister Beth, told of a story when Phyllis and Larry were visiting Beth and her husband in Germany. The four of them, after an evening boat ride, danced a congo line down the streets of Lucerne! Phyllis is survived by her son Scott Thomson (Pamela, deceased), her daughter Julie Thomson, her son Colin Thomson (Patricia), her six grandsons, one granddaughter and three great-granddaughters. She was also dearly loved by her stepchildren, Patricia (David Findlay), Beth (Harry Pearce) and Cathy McGrath (Jim) and four stepgrandsons, two stepgranddaughters, two stepgreat-granddaughters and one stepgreat-grandson, for many of whom Phyllis was the only grandmother they knew. In particular, the grandchildren miss their grandmother. Phyllis was cremated as per her request and will be interred in Winnipeg. No service will be held.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 24, 2005