CAROL MAY BYRNES (NORRIS)

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CAROL MAY BYRNES (nee NORRIS) From our deepest sorrow we wish to announce the passing of our beloved Mother and friend, Carol May Norris Byrnes, on Thursday, December 9, 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. Carol was diagnosed with small-cell lung cancer exactly one year prior to her death. After her initial round of chemotherapy in the first half of 2010 she was given the choice of either letting nature take its course or taking an experimental form of chemotherapy. Like the true and noble spirit she was she chose to submit her tiny, frail body to the chemo, in her words if not for myself then for others . Carol was born December 13, 1938 to Ernest and Mary Liddell Norris in Granby, Quebec. She lost her Mother at age four, but was Daddy's Little Girl until his death when she was 15. She lived with her beloved guardians, Evelyn and John Cornish, until her graduation from high school in 1956, when she moved to Montreal by herself to attend Secretarial College. While in Montreal she met and married her ex-husband and friend to the time of her passing, James (Jim) Byrnes. Together they had three children, Teresa, Joanna and James. They moved from Montreal to Churchill in 1970, to Winnipeg in 1973, and after a year in Dauphin finally settled in the St. James area of Winnipeg in 1975. Carol was an independent salesperson for Avon and Coppercraft, as well as an active Opti-Mrs. Member, during her time at home raising her children. In 1978 she went back to work part-time for Woolco, and after her separation from Jim she went to full-time, while still raising her children. She worked for Woolco (now Wal-Mart) for 32 years, until Thursday when she passed away. Left to mourn her passing are her children, James, Joanna (D'Arcy) and Teresa (estranged), her ex-husband Jim, sister Joyce of Niagara Falls, nieces Lynn (Burd) of Burlington, Barbie (Tom) of Caledon, Patsy (Mike) of Pembroke, and Jennifer and nephew Graham of Toronto Ontario, her beloved grandchildren Bianca, Haylea, and Richard, and all of her friends at Wal-Mart Unicity and across the country. She touched so many lives along her journey, and left a legacy with her final sacrifice. On Friday, December 17, 2010 Carol's Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 p.m. in Silver Heights United Church, 199 Garrioch Avenue. The family would like to thank Dr. Gooi of the Westwood Medical Clinic, her long-time GP, for so actively pursuing her initial diagnosis, Dr. Fatoi and nurse Lori of CancerCare Manitoba for taking care of her during her illness, and the Emergency Medical personnel at Health Sciences Centre for giving her the care and the Dignity she so rightly deserved prior to her death. If desired, donations may be made in her name to the CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, 675 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9. Risk-taker, Truth-seeker, Giver, Forgiver, Joker, Teacher, Mentor, Courageous Lioness, Lady, Friend. Mother.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 14, 2010