ALINE ELSTON (FLETCHER)

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ALINE ELSTON (nee FLETCHER) January 8, 1935 - September 15, 2012 Sadly, a beautiful and elegant woman with a great passion for living and life, has left us. ...It isn't a hill any longer, you gave me a mountain this time... Despite her very best and noble efforts, this devastating disease ended her life prematurely. Fortunately, we had over a year since her diagnosis. It was during this time that she allowed us in to connect with her at a new level, so that we could express to her and receive from her the full extent of our love and admiration. Left to cherish her memory are her devoted children, Robert (son David), Daphne Hofer (husband Jacob, daughters Aurora and Amberley Tapp), James (wife Tanya, and son Hunter), William (son Landen). She also leaves Aunt Dorothea Welter, and sisters Beverley Smith, Gwen Melnyk and Sandy Bissoon. Many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends will also miss her warmth and smiles. Being the eldest daughter of Jean and Albert Fletcher of McCreary, Manitoba was a source of great pride to Aline (Budge). She believed her prairie roots and the values she learned as a child, equipped her positively for a very rewarding and successful life. She began a career in Nursing in 1956. This pursuit took her to McCreary, Calgary, San Francisco, Marysville, and again, Calgary. During this time, she met and married Robert Elston. They chose Calgary and specifically Elbow Park, as the home in which they raised four children. This beloved home is where she resided until her demise. In the late 1970s, she returned to University for her Bachelor of Commerce, eventually obtaining her designation as a Tax Auditor. Subsequently, she was employed by the Government of Canada for 20 years. After retirement in 2005, she lived life as fully as she possibly could. Among her most notable attributes was her ability to focus on research, detail, planning and execution. These are the qualities which allowed her to excel as: a student; a mother; a grandmother; a sister; a friend; a hostess; a cook: a fashionista; a seamstress; a volunteer for Calgary Minor Sports; a traveler; a curler; an art and music buff; a slow pitch player; a horse back rider; a writer; a dancer; and a host of other joys and accomplishments. She had an enviable single minded determination about most endeavors, and if she committed to a project, nothing was too great an effort. In contrast to this drive, she could find utter joy in life's simplest pleasures, and always took the time to savour and be in awe. ...A much loved person who will be missed immeasurably. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army's Agape Hospice would be greatly appreciated. A gathering to celebrate her life will be held at the Rotary House at Stampede Park in Calgary on Sunday, October 7 at 1:00 p.m. A private family funeral will be held in McCreary, Manitoba in 2013.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Sep 22, 2012