MAY JULYAN

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MAY JULYAN Surrounded by the love of her family, Emily May Julyan passed away in Victoria, BC on August 23, 2011, at the age of 93. She will always be lovingly remembered by her daughter Lorna and son-in-law Alain Brunel, her son Richard and his former wife Judy, two granddaughters: Erin Ivans (Lee) and Heather Julyan (Tommy Ngo), great-grandson Kaiden Ivans, and many nephews and nieces. May was preceded in death by her husband Edward Julyan, her parents Trevor and Henrietta Bomford, and her six brothers and sisters and their spouses, Elinor, Dick (Myrtle), Claude, John (Viola), Norah Knight (Charlie), and Reg (Noma). Deceased brothers-in-law and sister-in-law are Bill Julyan (Phyllis), Jake Julyan (Isabel), and Louise Burnside (Bill). Mum is survived by her brother Claude's wife, Joy Bomford, and her husband's brother Norman Julyan and his wife Helen. May was born in 1918 in Ashern, Manitoba, where her parents homesteaded. The family later moved to take up farming near Oak River, Manitoba. After finishing high school, Mum moved to Winnipeg in 1936 where she took a business course at the Dominion Business College. From that time until her retirement in 1981, she worked as a stenographer and bookkeeper at various federal government jobs: the Morden Agricultural Research Station, the PFRA (Prairie Farmers Rehabilitation Assistance), and Transport Canada. Her last position prior to retirement was with Transport Canada's Accounts office at the Vancouver Airport. In 1944, she married Edward Julyan, who was at that time a Warrant Officer in the Royal Canadian Engineers. They had two children, Richard and Lorna, and lived in Morden, Manitoba from 1950 until 1974. Ed died in Vancouver in 1979. May retired to the Comox Valley in 1981, living first in Comox and then in Courtenay. May was very active in seniors' sports with the Evergreen Seniors Association and the Courtenay Lawn Bowling Club. She loved gardening, cooking and baking, sewing and knitting, and spending time with her family and friends. Tea and home-baked cookies at Mum's was a treat we all often enjoyed. Would you like a cup of tea? I'll put the kettle on. She was a loving, friendly and sociable person with an impish sense of humour. Sadly, Mum suffered from Alzheimer's disease during the last years of her life. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the caring and compassionate staff at both Glacier View Lodge in Courtenay, and the Oak Bay Kiwanis Pavilion in Victoria. In lieu of flowers, donations in May's memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia, or to a charity of one's choice. A memorial service was held for Mum at First Memorial Funeral Services, 4725 Falaise Drive in Victoria on August 31 at 2:00 p.m., with the Reverend Gordon Thurston officiating.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 03, 2011