Obituary of Genevieve McGarry

Genevieve Marie McGarry October 25, 1944 - January 3, 2010 Feet First! She hit the ground running and didn't stop until God took her home on January 3rd. Her determination started on the first day. Mom was a breech baby born on October 25, 1944, to Kazmir and Donna Karp at Blaine Lake, Saskatchewan. She came home to two big brothers Chester and Kazmir. At eleven months, she was the first child around to walk that soon. Her big brothers loved leading her around. She took her schooling at Springbank and Speers, Saskatchewan. During her teen years, she schooled in North Battleford through the winter months. Mom was never a stranger to hard work, a she grew up on a farm. This hard work ethic was with mom all her 65 years. Her favorite story to reminisce about the farm was her dog Butch. She trained Butch to pull her around with a toboggan in the winter. When they weren't working on the farm, sometimes there were picnics with neighbors, or a ball game, or her favorite pastime of all - going fishing. It was time to leave the nest, so she headed to Edmonton to work and stay at Kazmir and Polly's. Later, she made her way back to Saskatchewan, where she worked for Glen Gordon and his wife looking after their children on a farm just outside Marsden. Still in Marsden, she became a telephone operator with her long time friend Vi. It was during this time she met a tall redhead named Jim McGarry. They married July 10, 1964 in Neilburg, Sask. Found a little house in Lloydminster to rent for $88/mo. Less than a year later in March of 1965, their first child - a daughter was born - Donna Maureen. In the summer of '67 they bought their first home on 39th Street for $12, 000. Just in time because that November another blessing arrived - a son was born - Dean James. We grew up with many great neighbors having barbeques, friends and relatives coming for mom's great cooking, and a haircut, card games, going camping and fishing. 1976 was exciting moving into the new house mom and dad built. Mom got her dream kitchen! Over the years that kitchen island experienced many good times with friends and family. The coffee was always on and the door was always open. Mom absolutely loved being at home. She took great pride in her home and her family, her garden and her flowers. Dean and I always came home to something great brewing in the kitchen. She told me she always loved hearing each of us walk in the door after school and call out, "Mom. . . I'm home!" We were all so spoiled with her love, food and attention, not with $ or things. She gave to her family and friends over the many years gifts from her garden, canning, buns, pies, cakes, perogies and cabbage rolls, soup, stew and her famous dill pickles. During our teen years, mom found a part-time job at the co-op deli. But I knew it was extra $ to help with my dental work. Always selfless - never spending a dime on herself. Later on, she took full-time employment at BJ Drycleaners, Mark's Work Wearhouse, IGA, and then her final position at Habitat for Humanity Re-store. She loved that job taking in treasures, cleaning them up like new, and watch them go out the door to a new home. She had so much fun with the people she worked with, as well as the many customers that became friends. She often spoiled them with her treats from the kitchen. I often heard of their fun and jokes they played on each other as well as the friends that frequented the store. Like the time they adorned a friend's truck with undergarments. They watched him drive away a block, stop, take the flapping article off the front, get back in and drive away. Little did he know, there was still a pair of underwear on the back bumper. She had so many stories of fun and silly things that happened over the years. Like flash-crash-splash. Her girlfriend flashed her bosom, crashed her quad, and splashed into the lake trying to get into their fishing boat, all separate events. She loved going to dances with her friends. Many good times were had especially one night with Ann, when they were held captive in the ladies bathroom trying to ditch a couple of fellas. They thought they waited long enough only to discover they were waiting right there. She loved laughing and always appreciated a good joke. Even right up to her last day - she was still able to respond to a joke that her friend Betty read to her. But what made her heart burst with pride were her 5 grandchildren: Kyle, Ryan, Alyssa, Ryley and Avery. Her eyes always lit up and the biggest smile let them know how important they were to her. She was the Grandma that took the time to take the grandchildren fishing at the pond, play tennis, go camping, play at the park, bake a cake, read a story, or just curl up on the couch with a blanket and a snack of crackers, cheese, kolbassa and pickles to watch whatever movie they wanted. We spent quality time whenever we could especially when she came on our quadding/camping trips with our big quadding family of friends that soon became her friends too. Or just camping with us and our kids and their friends. She loved all the kids together at the lake. And the hours on our boat fishing. But my favorite memory of mom is the special time we spent together with Alyssa in the Mayan Riviera last January. We made a lot of friends there in a week. Didn't do a lot of extra day trips, just hung out at the ocean, the pool, and walked through the market. She felt so much better in Mexico. I am so thankful for that time together, with such a fun, wonderful, loving, giving person - our mom. I would like to close with something our dear friend sent to us. Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming. . . "Woo Hoo! What a ride!? Donations may be made to The Canadian Cancer Foundation or The U of A - Five F4 Ward