Rita Gwynne

Mom was born on the family farm in Irma, Alberta. She weighed a mere 3.5 pounds and was wrapped in a blanket and placed on the oven door to keep warm. Her dad nicknamed her Teenie which he always called her. They moved from the farm to Edmonton when she was 5. She had been promised a newborn foal, but it had to be sold when they moved. Her dad took the money and bought her a bike. She never forgot the foal. She met our dad skating when she was 14 and he was 16. He was the love of her life from that day on. They married on February 5, 1944, three days after dad returned from the war. They lived in Alberta, Quebec and British Columbia. In later years they wintered in Indio, CA. Mom had 3 great loves; our dad, her kids and her horses. The last 2 might be in the wrong order! Mom finally got that horse in 1956 and never looked back. She read everything she could on horses. She kept them, bred them, broke them and raced them. She jumped them and hunted with them. She was competitive, strong and strong willed. When it was time to move on, she took up golf. They played in Kelowna, at La Quinta CA and finally a few last games at Royal Oak Golf Club in Saanich. Mom and dad spent their last 12 years in Sidney overlooking the ocean. Dad died in June 2012 and mom lived 5 long months without him. They had been married for over 68 years. She died on November 20th, 2012 at Rest Haven Lodge in Sidney a wonderful care facility, where people truly cared. Mom was pre-deceased by Bill, her parents (Stan & Mettie), her older brother Edwin (Louise), Bills parents, Percy & Elizabeth and sister Joan. She is survived by her son Don (George), daughter Sandy (Dave) & their grown children Morgan (Gary), Toby (Jon), Chevy (Wendy) and 7 great grandchildren, Paige, Elise, Piper, Campbell, Declan, Rowan and Keira. Also her younger brother Keith (Jackie) and many nieces and nephews. We were so lucky to have shared lunch with Keith & Jackie and mom and dad in March of 2012. At the end, moms only communication was through her smiles. They were big, beautiful and often! She leaves us with that wonderful memory. There was no service at moms request.