EILEEN DORTHEA FORTNEY (GORDON)

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EILEEN DORTHEA FORTNEY (nee GORDON) Life ended for this gentle and wonderful lady on the early morning of April 14, 2000, in the St. Boniface Hospital Palliative Care Ward. Peacefully with her family at her side, Eileen, aged 82, passed from this life to be reunited with many loving relatives and friends as well as her husband Paul who passed away in December 1972, her sister Evelyn who departed in 1973 and her older brother Horace who departed in 1982. Eileen, with her twin sister Evelyn, was born in Winnipeg on June 27, 1917. She met Paul in Winnipeg and in 1938 they became the first couple to be married in Ear Falls, Ont. They lived in Winnipeg during the war years while Paul was overseas, and then farmed in the Argyle and Erinview areas prior to moving to Teulon for their retirement years. During this period they raised six children, Paul (Terry) living in Lethbridge, Alta., Evangeline in Vancouver, B.C., Joan (Steve) living in Arborg, Bill in Portage la Prairie, Gene (Raelene) in Winnipeg and Jim in Stonewall. The family has since grown to include 12 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Eileen was an accomplished artist and a passionate crusader for the mentally handicapped. She played an integral role in the development of an educational system for the handicapped; as a result Edward E. Best School in Stonewall was established. This pioneer effort has since led to the establishment of special needs classes in the "regular" school system and the Arris Centre. Eileen was always an advocate and crusader for the less fortunate. She was a very modest lady, and the smiles on the many faces of those she affected were more than enough reward for her efforts. Prayers will be held at the MacKenzie Funeral Chapel in Stonewall at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, April 17. Mass will be celebrated at the Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Stonewall on Tuesday, April 18, at 11:00 a.m. with the interment to follow at the Stonewall Cemetery. Pallbearers will be grandsons, Joe Fortney, David Fortney, Mark Krulicki, Craig Pasternak and Sheldon Pasternak and nephew Joe Fortney. Honorary pallbearers will be brother-in-law George Fortney and grandson Kelvin Fortney. As her wishes, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Arris Centre, Stonewall, Man. MacKenzie Funeral Home in care of arrangements.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 16, 2000