VERLE HAZEL HARRISON

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VERLE HAZEL HARRISON It is with absolute broken hearts and disbelief that we announce the passing of our mom peacefully in her sleep surrounded by photos of her children, grandchildren and with her dogs by her side, in her own quiet way on Tuesday, April 26.2011. Never one to make a fuss, she passed away with dignity and with great love for her family who will miss and cherish her always. Left to cherish Verle's memory are her daughters Kim Bottomley (Brent and granddaughter Michayle), Kathy Gagnon (Maurice and grandchildren, Eric, Celine, and Denis); sister Doreen Donnelly; niece Lynne; brother Raymond and family; many great-nieces and nephews; and Diane. She was predeceased by her parents Lloyd and May Lovell and sister Bernice. Mom was born April 2, 1933 at La Riviere, Manitoba; a place she held so dear to her heart and visited so often throughout her life. She moved to Winnipeg as a young girl, but always treasured and loved her roots in the country. She passed this love and this family history on to our family. Mom resided in Winnipeg and raised a family. Her impact on all who touched her life was enormous and she was deeply loved by many. How do you describe our mom - her love - her life - her impact. Mom was such a tiny little woman but her heart and her ability to love all was unbelievable. She touched many people's lives. She was an extremely gentle, loving, non judgmental, accepting person. Mom always saw the positive in all situations. She had a very gentle nature and no story was too long for her to listen to, she felt your joys in life and comforted you in your sorrows. Her arms were always, always loving and wide. Mom was very devoted to her friends, family and people in her care. She worked with pride at Community Venture for many years. Her dedication and love of the people in her care extended beyond her job and her retirement. We had many people who shared in our Christmas dinners because they had no one else and after her retirement, many still called her weekly to chat. She respected all and treated all with dignity. Mom loved her neighbourhood and her neighbours. How she loved that street, she took an interest in everyone and she touched many lives there, with her ability to reach out and make you feel at home. She had many pictures of others babies and children on her fridge. She was fiercely proud of her hard earned accomplishments - her home and her place at Lilac. Mom taught us that we could achieve anything with hard work and belief. Her home was the focal point in our neighbourhood, a place where everyone wanted to gather to chat with Verle on the deck and drink coffee and eat her banana muffins. Her presence was contagious and she was an incredible light to be with. We can never thank mom's neighbours Kevin and Fern, Ariel and Fallon enough for their kindness and their loving eye over mom, helping and caring for her, and their friendship towards her. She adored them all. Mom's greatest joy, her reason to be here was her children and grandchildren. Words can't begin to convey mom and her love for us. She was the ultimate mom, an incredible role model, loved us beyond words and nurtured us through our trials and joys in life. Mom was always there to lean on, always there with her loving eyes, her warm love surrounding you and comforting you. As a grandmother she was amazing. Her love for her grandchildren was unbelievable, every aspect of their lives, filled her with such joy, such radiance, such pride. No little milestone, no little story not celebrated. Mom gave us and our children an incredible gift of love and of unwavering support. Her pride and joy in them was immeasurable. She has left them with lessons of love and life so valuable it will guide them on their journey through life. Mom adored her sons-in-law, she took great pride in watching them become husbands and fathers. Their presence gave her peace of mind, she loved to chat with them and she made them laugh and filled their lives with love. Words can't express mom's love for her sister, Doreen. They were extremely close and shared an incredible bond. Mom loved her sister deeply and we witnessed that love throughout our life. Although it feels like we have lost our way, we know mom has left us a path to follow. Her presence is felt all around us entwined with who we are, she is always here. Words can't express our grief but we are so blessed, so honoured to call her mom . We are heartbroken, we will miss you immeasurably, we will never forget you, but we will continue to live life as you taught us. At Mom's request, there will be a private immediate family service. She chose a place she loved, surrounded by the trees and the flowers, the wind blowing across the Prairies and the soft sounds of the birds. Please remember our Mom by accepting all you meet, taking time to hear someone's story and loving each other unconditionally. We want to thank Dr. Nene Rush for her incredible care of our Mom. You gave her an incredible peace of mind and we can never thank you enough for having a hand in her staying with us for this long. I won't be far away, for life goes on; So if you need me, call and I will come, Though you can't see me or touch me, I'll be near And if you listen with your heart, you'll hear, All of my love around you soft and dear. And then, when you must come this way alone. I'll greet you with a smile and say, welcome home. We love you Mom xoxoxo

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 30, 2011