Obituary of Dorothy Phillips

B I O G R A P H Y PHILLIPS: Dorothy Margaret Phillips passed away in the Lloydminster Hospital on Friday, February 4, 2005 at the age of 77 years. Dorothy is survived by: her loving husband George of Lloydminster; two children: Joanne and her husband Jim Berry and Kathy and her husband Doug Dumouchel; four grandchildren: Bobbi and Dave Kozicki and Dr. Jan and Dr. Robert Baker; Dan Dumouchel and Tricia Dumouchel; one great grandson Ethan Kozicki; two sisters: Barbara and her husband Neil Banks and Marjorie Cantrill. The funeral service for Dorothy was conducted from St. John's Anglican Church, Lloydminster, Saskatchewan on Monday, February 7, 2005 at 2:00 P.M. with Reverend Harold Martin officiating. A eulogy was given by Joanne Berry. Special music was sung by Marlene Risling accompanied on the organ by Donna Weston and Pat Skinner. Honorary pallbearers were: Sylvia Fisher, Mary Cavanagh, Thelma Price, Phyllis Binns, Marion Keebaugh, Dorothy Hill, Betty Sinclair, Betty Christianson, Ann Juba, Dorothy Baynes and Helen Pawsey. Interment followed in the Lloydminster City Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Service Ltd., of Lloydminster administered the funeral arrangements. Eulogy for My Mother My mother, Dorothy Margaret Rose, was born in Lucky Lake, Saskatchewan on March 13, 1927. She was the 5th out of 6 girls. She was always fun loving, thoughtful and caring. She lived a carefree happy childhood and seemed to attract friends, both male and female wherever she lived. Many who haved stayed in close contact over the years, will miss her, I am sure. Mom was very artistic, even as a child. She was good in sports. She was always tall for her age and loved long jump, swimming and skating. Mom had to be the first at everything. First to wear “sockies” in the spring even when there was snow on the ground. First to have a good tan, even if it meant enduring several burns to acquire it. She was the first to drive a car among her peers. In fact, her sister Barbara remembers that when she was 15, and on more than one occasion, she slipped out of the house from the veranda, where she and her sister slept in the summer. While her mom and dad were asleep, my mom and her friends pushed the family car out of the driveway and down the back alley. They then went joyriding with her at the wheel. After school and on weekends she worked in her father’s general store, giving her easy access to chocolate bars (one of her passions) and unfortunately cigarettes. This was a benefit to her friends as well I am sure. It is interesting to note that my mom was never caught during all these antics! She was a real daredevil. But, my how times changed. As a mother, she was very strict and would never let my sister or me get away with anything - for she knew all the tricks. She became cautious of many activities and fearful of many things including heights, even though she was tall. On one occasion, when she and Betty Christensen went shopping in Edmonton, for tall clothes and size 11 and 12 shoes, they went to a café for lunch and were advised of the soup and half sandwich special. They replied, “No we'll take the pork chops with all the trimmings”. The waitress responded: “Yes, you two look like Meat and Potato girls”! Even when Dr. Yen first met her, he said, “You big woman, you farm woman?” But even though she was tall, Mom always prided herself with a straight posture and the newest in fashions. Mom and Dad met in 1945 while both of them were employed with the Hudson Bay Company in Port Alberni, BC. They were married in 1949 and celebrated their 55th anniversary this year. My mom’s occupation was first that of a homemaker and second as a casual bookkeeper for my Dad. She became involved in all of our activities and at the same time was a member of the Kinette Club, the K’ette Club, was a member of the ladies Anglican Church group, a leader of my Junior Auxiliary Church club, a secretary of the Figure Skating Club, a figure skating judge and was also instrumental in implementing the first summer figure skating school in Lloydminster. However, Mom loved being at home. She was never bored and made it her business to know what was happening in the neighborhood. She was always looking out the window and kept track of who was coming and going. At night, her entertainment was listening to the police band radio so she could notify us of the goings on in the community. However, when it came to telling us the most recent gossip, all she could say was: “Well, you know THAT WOMAN, you know her name, she lives over there YOU KNOW beside WHAT CH MA CALL ITS”. After totally confusing us she would point to Dad and deflect her inability to explain the situation saying “GEORGE , YOU KNOW WHO, TELL THEM.” Of course my dad had no clue what she was talking about. Mom’s favorite part of being at home was cooking the newest recipes and designing and making costumes for dancing, skating and Halloween. We looked forward to coming home from school and smelling the aromas that came from the kitchen. She always saved plastic tubs, boxes, jars, and other containers of which she would store many varieties of cookies and cakes. Dad knows all about the boxes! I remember some of the most intricate costumes made of crepe paper and some of the most hilarious ones she made for dad, herself and their friends. Yes, her costumes were so legendary that even her granddaughter, Jan, had a recent dream of making an exhibition museum with them. Mom also loved knitting and crocheting and later found her talents in painting. Her favorite activities were dancing with Dad, entertaining friends (of which some of them were able to be here today as honorary pallbearers), playing cards and playing the piano and the organ. This love of music and dance was certainly passed on to her grandchildren. She was most proud of them and supported all their activities. She always had pictures of them on the fridge, mantle and wall in both homes in Lloydminster and Mesa. She never wanted to miss a concert, recital or festival. Mom enjoyed babysitting the granddaughters because she could curl their hair, dress them up and relive the memories, as if Kathy and I were still at home. She always had creative toys and activities for them to do and would certainly spoil them with chocolate, share-a-pops and candy – in which she loved to indulge in as well. Mom loved her dogs and enjoyed dog sitting for us. They were great companions for her, before she and dad started their travel adventures. Mom and Dad were fortunate enough to have traveled the world with friends and relatives. They loved exploring new countries, customs and cultures. Over the last several years they settled in Mesa, Arizona for the winter months and enjoyed the weather with so many other Lloydminster snowbirds. Wherever she went, the room would be filled with laughter. Someone would walk in, not knowing what the joke was about, and would soon burst into laughter themselves, after hearing her very distinguishable and contagious laugh. As a teenager, I remember asking her not to laugh in public when I was with her because everyone would look at us. What an embarrassment! My only regret now, is that I wish I had captured that laugh on tape, as it would always lift my spirits. There will be so many things in our everyday life that will make us stop and miss her. Fond memories of watching beauty pageants and the academy awards (of which we were the greatest critics), watching love story movies and crying together while eating black licorice pipes, and sitting on the deck at Sandy Beach. She loved the beach. We would go for long walks and no matter where she was, she would always find money in the sand or on a street. It would have been interesting to add up all the money she found over the years. Not only did she find money, but she hid it as well. Always saving it for a rainy day. Dad is now looking in all the cookie jars, behind the curtains and under the mattresses to see how much she has saved for him. I knew that when we were at the cabin SHE would be out there too. I will always remember sitting with her on a calm beautiful evening as the sun set, watching the orioles, hummingbirds and chickadees eating out of the feeder. This relaxing activity was often interrupted by my Dad chasing the squirrels away from the feeders with the broom or shooting at them with peppermints from his slingshot. Even her fear of lightning storms and mice, (which dad often found in their cabin) would not keep her away from coming back to her favorite retreat. As a child I would remember having to run for the car if a storm came, as she thought we would be safe there, as rubber tires would ground the vehicle. If we couldn’t make it to the car she would put rubber boots under the bedposts and instruct us not to use the toilet or the telephone as we could get struck by lightning. Mom treasured the reader’s digest contest forms, coupons and other junk mail. She would say: “I am entering this contest because someday I’ll win. Just you wait and see”. She was always telling my dad about things that needed to be done and was in effect his personal day timer. Her whole purpose in life was to look after him and be there whenever he might need her. She always put herself and her needs last. Her life revolved around Dad, organizing him in his many business, political, social and community events. She was our greatest critic, paying attention to the smallest details. Even during her last days in the hospital, she was instructing dad to get a haircut and worrying about the lint on the back of my pants. I will always remember her for her love of babies. When her 9 month old great grandson visited her in the hospital in her final days she said “I am sad to be missing out on Ethan’s growing up”. She mustered up enough energy to talk to him, playfully poke at him in the tummy and kiss his pudgy little cheeks. This was the very last activity she enjoyed. We cherish all the memories that she has given us. We will keep them in our minds and in our hearts forever. In closing, I would like to say that I am very thankful for many things. I am very thankful to have had my mom for 53 years. When Mom got sick, I prayed that she wouldn’t suffer for long and my prayers were answered. I am thankful that we got home to our own hospital for the last hours of mom’s life. The beautiful palliative care room we were given, provided us with a warm and caring atmosphere of which I am sure that mom felt also. We know she felt secure in the care of which she was given by Dr. Jill Lakins and the nurses on duty. Thank you Jill for being the dedicated professional you are. Lloydminster is truly blessed by your commitment to your patients. Card of Thanks We’d like to thank Harold Martin for officiating in the service, the soloist Marlene Risling, pianist Donna Weston, the organist Pat Skinner and the Anglican ladies church group for the lovely lunch. A sincere thank you to McCaw Funeral Service. To all our friends and relatives for their expressions of sympathy - the phone calls, cards, food, flowers and donations were very much appreciated. George Phillips Joanne & Jim Berry & Family Kathy & Doug Dumouchel & Family Donations may be made to The Lloydminster Hospital CT Scan.