ADELENE RUTH (DALE) GILCHRIST

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ADELENE RUTH (DALE) GILCHRIST It is with sadness that I must announce the passing of my mother, Adelene (Dale) Gilchrist on Monday, October 6, 2008 at our home in Winnipeg, after a gradual decline. My mother was born in 1912 at her parents homestead in Islay, Alta, a town which my grandfather named after Islay, Scotland, his parents' native home. The family moved back to Toronto so that my grandmother could care for her invalid mother. While my grandfather was succumbing to Bright's disease at the onset of the Great Depression, my mother had to leave high school to help support the family, an exigency she regretted for the rest of her life. Nevertheless, she bore this burden with fortitude and contributed to her family's income throughout her working life, most notably as a clerk-typist with the Manitoba civil service. Many local lawyers may remember her friendly helpfulness as she worked with the companies' branch during the sixties and seventies. In her twenties she became interested in Christian Science and remained a student of this religion for the rest of her life, quite active with her own congregation at the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Winnipeg. In 1987 she perceived the need for a religious influence in the lives of certain little kids whose parents, mostly friends and family of my then girlfriend, also desired that, but were at a loss to provide it. For years she piled little kids into her little Toyota and packed them off to Sunday-school, taking them to McDonald's for a snack afterwards. I know that all of these children, now adults, still remember Mrs. G. with the greatest affection and respect. After retirement, she pursued multifarious interests including bird-watching and transoceanic travel. Also, she came to share my appreciation of baroque music and I believe that members of the Musik Barock Ensemble began to consider her presence at their concerts something of a talisman. She was predeceased by my father, her beloved husband Scott and leaves to mourn her only child - me, and nephews Jack (Frances), David and John (Sue) and nieces Bonnie (Jim) and Barbara (Mike); also great-nieces Cathy (Mike), Debby, Jamie (Adam) and Andrea. Special mention must also be made of friends Sylvia, Bernice, Karen and Martha and others too numerous to name. I must also acknowledge the homecare system, and specifically my mother's regular workers, Evergrina, Nimfa and Robin, whose sympathy and professional competence were sterling. Most especially however, I refer to Anita whose devoted attention can only be described as daughterly and whose assistance considerably lightened my burden as a caregiver. There will be a funeral service, which will take place at Thomson In the Park , 1291 McGillivray Blvd. on Friday, October 17 at 2:00 p.m. Memorial donations may be made to the Winnipeg Humane Society, 45 Hurst Way, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 9Z9. THOMSON IN THE PARK 925-1120 Send expressions of sympathy to www.mem.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 11, 2008