OLIVIA NORA CHRISTINA SMITH (1922 2006)

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OLIVIA NORA CHRISTINA SMITH (1922 2006) With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of Olivia Nora Christina Smith (nee Finnerty), after a brave fight with cancer, on August 7, 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at the age of 84. Olive is survived by her husband of 60 years Sean Smith of Portage la Prairie; her children Margo Lancaster (Brian) of Winnipeg, Shane (Laurie) Smith of Portage la Prairie, Eileen Smith of Kelowna, and Barry (Mary) Smith of Portage la Prairie. She is also survived by her brother Michael Finnerty of Tampa, Florida and her sisters Eileen O'Connor from Ireland and Patsy Bunn from England. She will be lovingly remembered and missed by her grandchildren Darryl (Chantal), Sean, Megan (Rich), Karina (Trevor), Rory, Devon, Brendon, Shannay, and Connor and great-grandchildren, Noah and Néve. Olive was predeceased by her two brothers Noel and Brian Finnerty, her sisters Mazie Johnson, Lillie Stearne, and Peggy Finnerty, and son-in-law Rick Lancaster. Olive was born on January 5, 1922 and raised in Galway, Ireland. During the war she worked on the buses in England. Moving back to Ireland after the war she married her husband Sean in 1946. They had a daughter Margo in 1948. Like many Irishmen back then, Sean left Ireland to find work. He ended up in Churchill and then a mining town in the Yukon. Like a true pioneer Olive followed him and lived in a log cabin with an outdoor toilet and no running water. Two more children (Shane and Eileen) were born. In 1958 the family emigrated back to Ireland. Sean and Olive bought a pub in Belturbet which Olive ran. She was destined to be a working woman. In 1958 Olive had another son, Barry, born in Galway. Sean immigrated back to Canada and Olive later followed him in 1960. She packed up her four kids and took the train from Halifax all the way across Canada on an odyssey that took us to the Yukon. That year we ended up in Winnipeg for a few months before moving to Churchill. Here is where our family finally settled for 23 years. Sean worked at the diesel plant there while Olive used her culinary skills to work at the engineers' canteen, the coffee shop, vocational school kitchen, and finally managing the Churchill Health Centre kitchen. She made hospital food good . Sean retired from Manitoba Hydro in 1982 and both he and Olive moved to the city of Winnipeg. Olive was a loving, caring, and generous woman. She never turned anyone away from her door. She was a feisty Irish girl who always showed grit and determination. She loved a joke and the stories she told of her younger days would have us in stitches. She had a sharp wit and always had her finger on the pulse of the world. After every newscast in the morning she would utter her famous line - the world's gone mad. Our mother was very musical and she exposed us to all kinds of music. Her best talent though was her cooking. You haven't lived until you had an Irish breakfast at Chez Olive's on Dunraven. We'll miss you, Ma. Funeral Mass will be held at Good Shepherd Catholic Church, 1125 Saskatchewan Ave., Portage la Prairie, on Thursday, August 10, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. with Celebrant Fr. Michael Wollbaum. As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Olive's memory to Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, 21 Royal Rd. S., Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 1T8, or to Central Plains Cancer Care Services, 318 Saskatchewan Ave. E., Portage la Prairie, MB R1N 0K8 or to a charity of choice. A tree will be planted and cared for in memory of Olive by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel. 857-4021 www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Aug 09, 2006