GLADYS MARY HAMEL

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GLADYS MARY HAMEL Peacefully with her family by her side, Gladys Hamel passed away on Saturday, April 6, 2002, at the Victoria General Hospital, at the age of 90. She was predeceased by her husband John on April 8, 1985; her older brother Bill and his wife Simone, her younger brother Norman and his wife Marjorie, and many of her Hamel in-laws. She is survived by her son Gary and his wife Irene; her grandsons, Deron in Winnipeg and Cory (Tristyn) in Vancouver. Also by sister-in-law Beatrice and her husband John Fediuk, sister-in-law Simone Hamel and many nephews and nieces and their families. Gladys Mary Calthorpe was born November 23, 1911, the middle child and only daughter of William and Annie Calthorpe, in Melita, MB. She was raised in the Melita and Carberry area of Manitoba moving to Fannystelle with her family in the late 1930s. She met John in Fannystelle and they were married in Winnipeg in October 1940 and made their home in Fort Garry. A working woman ahead of her time, Gladys worked at the Bay, at first on a part-time basis and then full-time, from 1942 until she and John retired in 1974. The Bay was an important part of her life and some of her oldest and dearest friends were co-workers from the Bay. They spent their retirement winters in Mesa, AZ, where they made many life-long friends. After John passed away, she continued to winter in Arizona for a number of years. She sold their home and purchased a condo on Pembina Hwy., where she lived until January of this year. She enjoyed good health all her life and up until Christmas of 2001, she was still knitting 300-350 pairs of mittens a year for the Christmas Cheer Board. She was very proud of that and what an accomplishment it was. Over the twenty years she knitted, more than 6,000 pairs of hands were warmed with those mittens. The family would like to take this opportunity to thank so many of you who sent cards and letters and visited so faithfully during her two month illness. We know how much it meant to her and we are grateful. We would also like to thank the nursing staff on unit five of the Victoria Hospital who cared for her during her illness. A funeral service for Gladys will be held on Wednesday, April 10, at 2:30 p.m. at Trinity United Church, 933 Summerside Ave., with Rev. Milly Malavsky officiating. Services will terminate at the church. Flowers are gratefully declined. If friends so desire, donations may be made to The Christmas Cheer Board, or CancerCare Manitoba, 675 McDermot Ave., Winnipeg, MB, R3E 0V9. LEATHERDALE GARDINER 1501 Waverley Street, 949-4860

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Apr 09, 2002