Obituary of Heather Form
Heather Anne Form (nee Hyde) passed away in St. Paul’s Hospital Saskatoon on May 23, 2025 at the age of 78.
Heather is survived by: her loving and devoted husband of 56 years, Alvin Form; daughter, Chelsa Husch (Darryl Graham); son, Bradley Form; grandson, Brendon Husch and great-granddaughter, Zoey; grandson, Tyler Husch (Vikki) and great-grand children, Noah, Nate and Layla; granddaughter, Ashten Form; and grandson, Jesse Form; sister, Barbra Hawkins (Les) and a large extended family.
Heather was predeceased by: her parents, Walter and Mary Hyde; parents-in-law, Anton and Lydia Form; sister-in-law, Fran Sawchyn; brother-in-law, Gary Form; and grandson, Tanner Husch.
A Private Family Memorial will be held at a later date. Once the service has taken place, a recording will be uploaded to the website.
Donations in memory of Heather may be made to the Paradise Hill Care Home or to donor’s charity of choice.
Eulogy
Heather was born on May 23, 1947, in Eston, Saskatchewan. She grew up on her family's farm near Brock, Saskatchewan, and attended school in Brock and Rosetown. Heather was the eldest of two children. She began her career at the Brock Rural Telephone Company and later continued working with SaskTel in Rosetown. During this time, she met Alvin Form, who was employed as a station agent for the Canadian National Railway in Brock. They married on January 4, 1969, in Brock and moved to the CNR station in Frenchman Butte. In 1970, they relocated to the CNR station in Paradise Hill. Their family expanded with the birth of Chelsa in 1971 and Bradley in 1974. Al purchased shares in NorWest Contracting in 1973. They built their family home, which they continue to live in today, in 1976.
In the following years, Heather was actively involved with the Kinette Club and the UCW ladies. She enjoyed babysitting and working part-time at Canada Post. Heather loved cooking, baking, and reading. She cheered us on in school sports during our high school years. Once she had grandchildren, she attended hockey games, figure skating, school sports events, Grandparents Day, and all their Christmas concerts. Heather enjoyed bowling and received many awards through the years.
Heather became a grandma on December 13, 1988, when Brendon was born. She took great pride in babysitting him and following him around, feeling very proud of her first grandchild—except for the times she caught him peeing in her backyard under the spruce trees. Just a few days ago, Great-Grandson Nate tried to do the same thing. Poor Grandma!
Following Brendon came two more grandsons, Tanner and Tyler, then finally a granddaughter, Ashten joined, followed by another grandson, Jesse. Ashten was very special to Grandma, spending a lot of time with her during her school years.
Tyler's favorite memories of Grandma were the angel food birthday cakes she made every year, each one with money hidden inside.
I (Ashten) remember baking with Grandma, often trying out whatever new recipe I wanted, whether it was cookies, date cake, or some cake I saw on a TV show. I often came home from school to find Grandma washing the floor on her hands and knees. Every time, I would say, 'You know they make mops now for that,' and she would always respond, 'I know, but I find this works much better.' Grandma taught me to apply perfume on my wrists and then dab it onto my neck to avoid overdoing it. I also remember singing in church with her, as she pointed out the words so I could follow along.
One of Jesse's fondest memories with Grandma is sitting in the living room together, watching the birds in the poplar tree and using Grandma's bird book to identify them. He especially remembers keeping a close eye out for blue jays, Grandma's favorite bird.
Mom and Dad took us on summer family trips, exploring most of Alberta and BC. They traveled with Uncle Gary and Aunty Irene, and Uncle Gerry, visiting the United States for our cousins Trisha’s wedding and exploring Nashville and the Northern States. They also traveled with Gary and Irene to Las Vegas and Cuba. They enjoyed a cruise through the Panama Canal with friends. Additionally, they traveled with Aunty Roxie and Uncle Norm to visit Gerry in Ontario. They spent one month in Yuma with their camper and friends from Paradise Hill.
Mom and Dad spent 10 plus years following Brian Laboucane with the Chuckwagons. Mom enjoyed those times working in the barn at the Calgary Stampede. Her stories of riding down to the barn from the campground on the back of the tiny little Honda trail bike past the security guards were always entertaining.
Heather suffered a stroke in October 2014. The morning of Mom’s stroke, when Dad found her still in bed at noon, she told him she was fine, “she just bowled too hard.” In the hospital, we would say incorrect things just to get Mom to correct us, her memory never missed a beat. The stroke restricted her mobility and made her fully dependent on Dad. He cared for her diligently over the last 10 and a half years. Mom underwent several operations after the stroke, including the removal and reinsertion of a bone flap due to swelling, cataract surgeries on both eyes, and receiving Botox in her left arm every three months to maintain mobility. In March 2022, she had a cancerous spot removed from her nose. In July 2024, she had her first surgery to remove a lump from her breast, followed by another surgery in November 2024 to remove additional tissue. Despite all these procedures, Mom never complained about discomfort or pain. Even when she was transferred from North Battleford to Saskatoon on the evening of the 22nd, she assured us she was fine, rating her pain as a 4 when the nurse asked.
After Mom's stroke, she moved back home with Dad, and we started a tradition of family suppers every Sunday. We only missed them when I (Chelsa) was on vacation. This is a tradition we will continue for the next generation. Our little ones look forward to Sunday suppers and getting two red licorices from Grandpa before heading home.
Mom and Dad did some traveling after Mom's stroke, visiting the Maritimes and taking a cruise to Alaska. Mom cherished any opportunity to visit with her relatives and enjoyed Aunty Barb's and Dawn's visits to the house. She always looked forward to the weekly phone calls from Aunty Roxie and Aunty Barb, just to chat and catch up. Sundays were her favorite, as her face would light up when we all started to arrive, especially when the little ones came. Her last smile was when she told Vikki to give Layla a hug from her when she got home on Thursday. Those great-grandchildren were her pride and joy.
Dad loved to tease Mom, whether it was by not moving his feet so she could get by to the dinner table or joking that the speeding sign into town was giving her the finger. Mom would always reply, "That's not the finger, that's a thumb up!" The smile she gave Dad when he teased her and the twinkle in her eye showed just how much she loved him. Whenever I visited and Dad was away for more than 10-20 minutes, Mom would always ask, "Where did your dad go?" She always kept a watchful eye on him.
Grandma taught me many of the important values in life and showed me true love and kindness. I looked to her as my second mom, and constantly looked up to her. I wanted to be just like her when I grew up, and I still aspire to be at least half the woman she was. I hope she knows how much I love her and is proud of the woman she raised. She was my best friend and the woman that helped me through the hardest times in my life and for that I will be forever grateful.
Mom passed away on her birthday, May 23, 2025, at the age of 78 in St. Paul’s Hospital, Saskatoon. We were by her side during her last hours.
The Form family sincerely thanks the doctors and staff in the Maidstone Hospital, North Battleford Emergency and Intensive Care Unit, and the St. Paul’s Hospital ICU unit. The care and compassion you gave Mom, and our entire family were exceptional
