Vivian TULLY

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TULLY: Vivian Irene Tully (nee Hewitt) passed away peacefully on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the age of 95 in Brandon, MB. Irene was born on the family farm near Carlyle, SK on February 9, 1920 to Robert Alexander Hewitt and Edith Florance Hewitt (nee Sellars). Predeceased by her husband Harry in 2013, her mother in 1932, her father in 1969, brothers -- Loy Hewitt in 2001, Russell Hewitt in 2003, Doug Hewitt in 2010, her sisters Evelyn Finnie in 1999 and Hazel Perry in 2008 and her step-mother Edith P. B. Hewitt in 2013. Loving mother of Lorna Smith (Don) of Brandon and Don Tully (Louise) of Wakefield, QC. Cherished grandmother of Bradley Smith, Jared Smith (Sandra), Raegen Tully (Mark) and Aaron Tully (Anne), and great-grandmother of Autumn and Nia Smith. Sister of Roberta Richardson. She will also be missed by many extended relatives and friends. Irene spent her early years on the family farm near Carlyle, SK. She received most of her education at Green Hill country school and then a school in Carlyle. Irene was eleven years of age when her mother passed away in 1932. This resulted in Irene (the oldest girl in the family) being responsible at this young age to help with many of the household tasks. In 1934 her father married Edith Taylor of Nesbitt, MB. Due to drought and crop failures the family moved to Nesbitt, MB in 1937 and they continued to farm on rented land. Irene attended school for two years in Nesbitt, completing her Grade 10. She worked as a housekeeper in a number of homes in the Nesbitt area and at Avery’s grocery store. Irene then moved to Winnipeg where she lived with an aunt and uncle and worked in their grocery store. After a period of time she went to work at the Cordite Plant in Transcona (Winnipeg). Irene, along with a girlfriend, ventured off to Ontario where she worked at various jobs in Malton (Brampton), including Victory Aircraft and Loblaws. Irene moved to Brandon in 1947 and began working at Eaton’s department store where she remained for a number of years. She met Harry Tully and they were married in Brandon on November 16, 1949. They lived in a suite and bought their first house on 3rd Street in Brandon. Harry and Irene’s daughter, Lorna, was born in 1950 and their son, Don, was born in 1952. The family moved in 1965 to 11th Street East and Irene began to work at the Brandon General Hospital as a nurse’s aide and a respiratory technologist until 1976. In addition to working outside the home for many years, Irene took great pride in being a “homemaker”. She spent a great amount of time cooking and baking for her family, preserving home-grown vegetables and fruit, and making wedding cakes for a number of people. In her spare time, Irene enjoyed knitting, sewing and crafts. Irene, Harry and family spent a lot of time visiting relatives in Winnipeg and SK, as well as at the Hewitt family cottage at Carlyle Lake, SK in the summer. They also made many trips to the Ottawa area to visit their son, Don, and his family and to Georgetown, ON and Vernon, BC to visit Irene’s sisters. Irene and Harry never had the desire to travel to “far-off places” in other countries but after Harry’s retirement they took two more extensive trips that they enjoyed very much -- a bus tour of eastern Canada, including the Atlantic provinces and a cruise to Alaska. Irene and Harry were long-time attendees of St. Paul’s and Central United Church in Brandon and Irene was an active member of the United Church Women (UCW) group. Irene and Harry took great pleasure in their time spent as members of the Sunshine Club and the East End and South End Community Centre seniors' groups. They took every opportunity to play their favourite card game of cribbage. Irene and Harry also enjoyed weekly “day trips” with friends exploring the back roads and towns of rural Manitoba. Harry and Irene moved to Lion’s Manor in June 2005. Irene moved to Fairview Nursing Home in November 2008. A special thank you to staff of Fairview who provided care over the years. The Celebration of Irene's Life will take place at Memories Chapel, 330 18th Street North, on Saturday, December 19, 2015 (TODAY) at 1:30 p.m. with Rev. Ken Delisle officiating. A reception will follow the ceremony at Memories Chapel. Irene will be laid to rest in a private ceremony with her husband Harry at Rosewood Memorial Gardens. Donations in memory of Irene may be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba, Unit 4B - 457 9th Street, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 1K2 or to a charity of one’s choice. Expressions of sympathy may be made at www.memorieschapel.com

As published in Brandon Sun on Dec 19, 2015