MARY IRENE CROOKS (nee BLAKE)

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MARY IRENE CROOKS (nee BLAKE) It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Mary Crooks on Tuesday, January 21, 2014 at the Victoria General Hospital, at the age of 83 years. Mary will be lovingly remembered by Sterling, her devoted husband of 65 years of marriage; three sons, Gary (Nancy), Blair (Doris), Dana; daughter Debra Vockeroth (Bob); daughter-in-law Darlene; grandchildren Steven, Carolyn (Corey), Lindsay, Ashleigh, Kelli (Tyler) and Sierra; and great-grandchildren Malaina, Holdyn, Mckinley and Zakk. On February 28, 1930 Mary was born and raised in North West River, Labrador; she was the eldest of seven children born to Reginald and Lucy Blake. On her 18th birthday Mary married Sterling, who was in the Canadian Armed Forces for two years at the time, and for the next 35 years they were stationed in various places within Canada and France. She made many lasting friendships throughout those years and many still existed to this day. Mary was a special person with a quick wit who loved her family and raised them with the wonderful aromas only home cooking can bring. She welcomed friends into her home to savour the many goodies and meals that Mary seemed to be able to make with anything at hand. Her cooking is a legacy that will be hard to replicate because even though the recipe is followed it always misses that special touch that she seemed to add. Moving became a large part of being a wife to someone in the Armed Forces but Mary and Sterling eventually retired and made Trenton, Ontario their home where they spent much of their free time golfing. They found their way back to Winnipeg to be closer to their children and settled into Dakota House for the last remaining years of her life. Mary was a caring and giving mother, wife and grandmother who always seemed to have a ball of yarn near at hand to knit or crochet the many blankets and sweaters for her grandchildren when they were babies. In her later years Mary enjoyed being a part of a knitting group and the memory of her will live on in the things that she so lovingly created. At Dakota House Mary was very fond of the friendships she had, she spent seven happy years being a part of bingo, going to the library and participating in the Wii games to name just a few of the activities that made her life so enjoyable. The family would like to extend their appreciation to the staff in the ER reassessment area, and to the staff on the second floor and fifth floor of the Victoria General Hospital who treated Mary with dignity and compassion. As per Mom's wishes, there will be no Funeral Service. Wojcik's Funeral Chapel & Crematorium, 2157 Portage Avenue, 204-897-4665, is in care of arrangements. wojciksfuneralchapel.com "My wife, our mom, our Nanny You are gone but you will never be forgotten, Although we are apart, Your spirit lives within us, Forever in our hearts."

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 24, 2014