EVELYN (POPPY) FOYLE

Adjust Text Size: A+ A-

EVELYN (POPPY) FOYLE November 11, 1926 - October 8, 2017 Poppy was born in 1926 on Remembrance Day. She was fond of telling new friends that she just "dropped out" when her mum stood up to respect the two minutes of silence at eleven o'clock. Poppy spent her early years in St. John's Wood, London, England, but moved to the safety of Wiltshire in southwestern England at the start of the Second World War. The family's home in St. John's Wood would eventually be destroyed in the impact of a bomb. Poppy and her family settled in the village of Hanging Langford. At fourteen, Poppy took a job with the Ministry of Supply in the nearby city of Salisbury. She loved her job, working through the war years until she married her childhood sweetheart, Derek S. Foyle, in January 1949. Poppy and Derek's first home was 'Dairy Cottage' at East Clyffe in Steeple Langford, where their two daughters were born. The family then moved a mile south, back to Hanging Langford and into 'The Elms', where their first son was born. By 1960 the family was once again living in Steeple Langford, this time at 'Alfstandorli'. Here, their fourth and final child, a son, was born. Two years later, Derek and Poppy immigrated with their children to Canada landing in Winnipeg in 1962. Poppy spent her early years in Canada as a stay-at-home-mum, returning to work when her youngest son entered junior high. As a teachers' aide at Prince Charles School, Poppy took great pride in developing an early computer program for her special needs students. She remained devoted to her students until her retirement in 1993. Poppy's retirement years were spent traveling with Derek to visit family in BC, the UK, and Europe; her family was very important to her and these trips were a source of great joy. Poppy was sadly predeceased by her husband Derek in 2008, by her parents Alfred and Lily Hawkins, brothers Bertie, Ronny, Douglas and Derek, her sister Jean and, heartbreakingly, her great-great- granddaughter Jazlynn. She is survived by her daughters, Annice (Mike) and Linda (Ralph) and sons, Nigel (Teresa) and Neil (Linda), as well as ten grandchildren, Rachel, Serena, Melanie, Kelly, Jenna, Scott, Bryce, Bryan, Thomas and Jonathon. Also surviving are fourteen great-grandchildren and two great-great- grandchildren. She leaves behind brother-in-law Michael Bentley in Vancouver, as well as two sisters-in-law, Marjorie Hawkins and Sylvia Foyle in England, and nieces and nephews. Poppy loved her family dearly and will be terribly missed. Many thanks to the staff of Middlechurch Personal Care Home for their kind and compassionate care during Poppy's final months. A private service will be held.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 14, 2017