MARY ELIZABETH (MCNAINY) BURROWS -

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MARY ELIZABETH (MCNAINY) BURROWS 1906 - 2008 After a long, healthy and active life, Mary Burrows passed away on Wednesday, October 29 at the age of 102. Mary was predeceased by her husband Wilf and her son Don Burrows. Mary is survived by her daughter Marilyn Watson, her daughter-in-law Nori Ritchie, seven grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Mary was born in 1906 and came to Canada from England in 1911. Mary met her husband Wilf in Kimberly, BC and they were married in 1928. Mary and Wilf moved to Flin Flon, Manitoba in 1931 where they raised their two children, Donald and Marilyn. Flin Flon was barely a town when they headed up north but Mary was actively involved in organizing clubs and events to help build a community. Mary was a role model for women from the time that she was very young. She created the Pipeline Toastmistress club in Flin Flon in 1966 and was an active member for 20 years. She demonstrated to woman that they had a voice in society and should communicate their ideas freely. Mary was recognized as the Member of the Year in 1987 from The Prairie Crocus Club ITC (International Training in Communication). Mary spent many hours at her typewriter over the years. She published numerous human interest stories in the Free Press and Chatelaine magazine such as The Anna Swan Story and The Rescue of Walter Sedor . She was the recipient of the Kathleen Strange Award from the Canadian Author's Association for distinguished service. Mary has been outstanding in the area of parliamentary proceedings. She was a registered parliamentarian and was the founder for the Manitoba Association for Procedural Parliamentarians at the age of 88. Mary created a guide book of parliamentary proceedings for board meetings and effective business. At 90 years old, Mary was still sharing her knowledge of Robert's Rules . Mary's biggest accomplishment was her Woman of Distinction Award in 2006 at the age of 100. We were so proud of her! Anyone who has met Mary Burrows knows she was a remarkable woman. She lived in her own apartment at the Waverley Retirement Community. Mary had an exercise routine that she did most mornings. Her afternoons varied depending on the day. She went to Grant Park to get her groceries on Thursday afternoons, enjoyed choir with the Waverley Warblers on Wednesdays and singing around the piano at Happy Hour on Fridays. A regular visit from her daughter, Marilyn was always a highlight. Mary liked to relax with a smidge of rye and water or an ice cold beer. Mary's happiest memories would be the years she spent with her husband Wilf up at Beaver Lake and the big family dinners with Marilyn and all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Our Nanny will be truly missed. We will miss her smile. We will miss her laugh. She was an inspiration to us all! Bless Ya Nanny! Thank you to the Fire and Paramedic Service and to the Emergency Room staff at the Victoria General Hospital. The funeral service will be held on Thursday, November 6 at 2:00 p.m. at Bardal Funeral Home, 843 Sherbrook Ave. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Laura Milner White Fund in care of The Winnipeg Foundation or a charity of your choice.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 04, 2008