ANNE ARNOT

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ANNE ARNOT Our beloved Anne Arnot died on September 10, 2006 after a brave battle with a long and debilitating illness. Loving wife, mother and grandmother to Jim, Jane (Brian) and Nick, and Katie and Lexy. Mom was born in Edinburgh, Scotland and in recent years her happiest times were spent travelling home with Dad. She loved to travel to all of the places that she remembered as a child, and to spend time again with her sister Susan, her husband Ian and their family. She loved the sea, and Mom and Dad would spend many hours together driving to remote spots and visiting seaside towns in Scotland. All her life, Mom was an adventurer. A full life filled with travel and activity. Mom and Dad lived in Germany and in Nepal, where she rode an elephant and lived in the foothills of Himalayas. In 1968, she and my Dad packed up all of their belongings and immigrated to Canada, where they settled in Winnipeg to raise their family. In Canada, Mom developed her love of cooking and would prepare the most amazing meals. She was famous for having dinner ready at 7:00 p.m. sharp, and we would always count on her to prepare a few of our favorite dishes at every holiday. Mom and Dad loved to golf together, and made a habit of their Friday night game followed by dinner at the club. Many of Mom's friendships stemmed from their golf outings, which she really enjoyed. Mom was a voracious reader. She had no difficulty reading three huge books at the same time, and whenever there was a game of scrabble or trivial pursuit, I would always insist on girls vs. boys . There was very little about things like history, art or literature that she did not know. We would always win. Mom had a loving nature, a warm and ready smile and she had a special place in her heart for her grandchildren. Through them, she was able to share her love of reading and learning. They had books before they could even sit up, and she taught them to take care of their books, even as tiny babies. She had a patient, loving style, and was always able to surprise them with a present when they least suspected it. Her first granddaughter, Kate was born in 1987 and she traveled to Ottawa to be there to help in any way that she could. Katie and her Grandma were very close, and Mom learned very quickly how to help to take care of her and put in her contacts, not an easy thing with a baby! Katie developed a strong love of learning, and a love of travel, and Grandma was very proud of her accomplishments and followed closely to hear how she was doing at Queens. With her second granddaughter Alexandra who was born in 1990, there was also a very special bond. Lexy spent many hours with Mom, just talking about what she was doing and being together. Lexy is an avid reader, which I am sure is the influence of my Mom. My mom and Lexy share the same quiet style, they both a good listeners and know how to bring out the best in their friends and family. They shared the same strange sense of humour, and would laugh together at some of the old fashioned children's books that Mom would buy for Lexy. Mom knew how special Lexy was, and was very proud of all of her many accomplishments. Mom and Dad had a strong and loving marriage and my Dad was a dedicated caregiver in these last few difficult years. They were a great team, while Dad was outspoken and outgoing Mom was a perfect complement. They were able to finish each other's sentences. Even though the last few years have been very difficult, Mom never complained and would bear each new challenge with dignity and grace. Our family wishes to express the deepest gratitude for the exceptional quality and compassion of the medical and nursing care that she received in her final years. Their kindness helped Mom to endure the challenges that she was faced with. To honour Mom, there are a few things that she would have wanted. She would have wanted us all to be happy, and she would have wanted us all to continue on with our lives. She would want us to remember all of the happy times and the wonderful memories that each of us have, where she touched us in her special way, and taught us lessons that we must never forget. She would want us to remember the traditions that she taught to us. We will all remember her and miss her terribly.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 16, 2006