VICTORIA LILY COPP

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VICTORIA LILY COPP

Victoria Lily Copp, after a life well lived left us in the early morning on December 1, 2024, to be warmly welcomed by those that went before her but missed by those she leaves behind.

Victoria was born on April 21, 1929, at home to Steve and Pearl Sumka by Dr. McTavish who happened to name her since her parents had not given any thought as to what name she should be given. The good doctor decided on Victoria, for Queen Elizabeth, since they both shared the same birthday in April and Lily because her skin was so white.

During the depression, the family moved and lived in many parts of North End and the Kildonan area. Family life was difficult during the depression and her parents went on relief to survive in the early years the family lived in difficult circumstances, but as time went on things became more stable and moderately prosperous. Her parents were able to purchase a home in West Kildonan where Victoria grew up, attended Centennial School, and went on to West Kildonan High School, where she acquired her love of learning, beautiful penmanship, and a relentless work ethic. Victoria did not have much time for frivolity, and it seemed she went from being a child straight into an adult. As an example, sports of any kind were a very rare treat, and she had to make hay while the sun shone, summer vacations were devoted to working in the fields and at the North End Farmer’s Market where she met many interesting people from all walks of life to help her family. Early in her life Victoria learned the value of hard work and dependability and passed the same principles to her three children to teach them to be self-reliant. Victoria instilled in her children that you must work for what you want, it will not be handed to you, and that sometimes work means sacrifice - always say, “It is a great life if you don’t weaken.”

Victoria’s love of gardening came from her father and at a very young age, she was taught how to plant seeds and seedlings, how to care for plants and harvest the produce to be sold at the farmer’s market on Main and Stella. Working with her mother on the market stall allowed her to meet and interact with people from many countries and to be able to hone her people skills. Victoria and Walter were married at Holy Eucharist Church on the corner of Watt Street and Montrose (Larsen) by Father Ihor Shpytkovsky on a very cold winter’s day on February 7, 1948, and travelled the next day to Montreal by train for their honeymoon. They stayed with family because they did not have much money in those days. Walter had land in North Kildonan and upon their return to Winnipeg, a small two room house was built in 1948 on Bird’s Hill Road (Molson and Tu-Pelo), in 1954 they were able to build a three-bedroom house with running water and toilet facilities. Together they worked hard growing vegetables to be sold to the loyal customers at the Main Street Farmer’s Market and then later after relocating to the Narin Avenue Farmer’s Market. In 1959, upon Victoria’s insistence, they built a greenhouse to grow seedlings to be planted in the field behind their home. What started as a greenhouse grew into seven more which started another business of producing bedding plants to be sold in the spring. They were truly master gardeners and passed on their knowledge not only to their children but also to customers they encountered during their time in business together.

In 1977 another adventure started when they built a country-style store, Copp’s Garden Centre, and continued to grow vegetables and bedding plants. Victoria and Walter’s adventure followed the seasons with bedding plants in spring, local produce in the summer, Christmas trees imported from Nova Scotia, and a small corner store to serve the Valley Gardens development. They worked very hard side by side every day for over 56 years until Walter’s passing at home.

Victoria and Walter shared a love for gardening, nature, travel, and reading. They enjoyed many trips together mostly during the winter when things slowed down for them. Trips to California and Florida to visit family, Australia, to visit with son, John and his family, Toronto, to visit daughter Jeannette, and many trips within Canada to visit family and for business. The highlight of their first trip to Australia was their 40th wedding anniversary which they celebrated with Father Shpytkovswky on the actual date of their wedding with a special mass in Adelaide and with the ladies of the parish hosting a special luncheon in their honour. In (2008) after Walter’s passing, Victoria travelled by herself to Scotland for a visit with her first granddaughter, Julia and great-granddaughter Poppy. She was thrilled to see her family and of course, Scotland as she was a great lover of bagpipes.

She had a real sense of duty and felt that if there was something she could do to help others she would do it. Victoria was politically active, she became the first female school trustee in the McLeod School Division (North Kildonan) and exercised her right to vote throughout her life. She was a feminist long before the movement started and throughout her life, she proved that she was capable of anything she wanted to do. Victoria was a businesswoman, registered reflexologist, Shaklee distributor, and contributor for the North East Winnipeg Historical Society, master gardener, but most of all a daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother.

Victoria was a strong-willed woman and loved life. Her life revolved around work, and she had a very strong work ethic. Victoria could be kind and generous, but she also could be very sharp-tongued and domineering when things did not go according to her plan. She was fiercely independent until an injury forced her to move into assisted living and this is when she became frustrated with her declining physical health because it meant that she was no longer able to look after herself. Victoria made friends wherever she went, she could sometimes rub people the wrong way. She had strong opinions and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, even if her position on an issue wasn’t popular at the time. Victoria would tell people off if she thought they were doing something wrong.

Victoria was predeceased by her husband Walter (2004), parents, Steve and Pearl Sumka (Shott) siblings, Peter (Mary), Albert, Nellie (Victor), son-in-law Grant McMurdy (1975), numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews and nieces.

Victoria will be remembered by daughters, Sandra and son-in-law Gary Campbell of Winnipeg, Jeannette and son-in-law Steven Keir of Woodbridge, Ontario, son John and daughter-in-law Mary Louise of Nova Scotia, grandchildren, Julia Morton (Scott), Jonathan Copp (Julia), Jessica Bailey (Dylan), great-grandchildren, Poppy, Lucia, Rosebell, Lila, Ivan, sister-in-law Jean Sumka, many nieces and nephews, cousins of the Copp and Sumka Families.

The family would like to thank all the many home care workers, healthcare aides, nurses and doctors who took awesome care of Victoria during her many stays in the hospital, River Ridge, and especially, the staff on 4CN at Holy Family. You were all great and made Victoria’s stay there more comfortable. She always spoke so fondly of you all, and during COVID you were her only physical and in-person interaction.

A celebration of Victoria’s life will be held at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 14, 2024, at Glen Lawn Funeral Home, 455 Lagimodiere Blvd. Interment will follow at Glen Lawn Cemetery.

Donations may be made in memory of Victoria to the Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Victoria also left a message to anyone who contributed to her life’s journey, “Thank-you and God Bless. And wish for each of us to take time to plant a tree for the songbirds, a flower for the butterflies and the honeybees, to take time to admire the wide-open spaces, and clouds, and to laugh”

Glen Lawn Funeral Home

204-982-7550

Tributes at www.glenlawn.ca

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 10, 2024