Sally Anne Walker

Sally Walker, a one of a kind woman, avid recumbent bicyclist and intense lover of dogs, died unexpectedly in her cherished Metchosin home. She leaves behind her wife of 33 years, Martha Haylor, stepson Jamie Mason, and sisters Debra, Nancy and Susan Walker. Also missing her are beloved dogs Angus and Molly; and even the cats, Emmett and Bryan, have been thrown off base. Born in Waverly, Iowa, she spent most of her childhood growing up in Nebraska. Following graduation from Riverside City College in 1972, Sally practiced nursing in California and Oregon. Following a move to Portland, Maine she earned a BSN with honors from the University of Southern Maine (1993), and staffed an innovative (at the time) health care clinic for working people unable to afford health insurance. Upon arrival in Victoria, 1994, she was not yet eligible to practice nursing but her strong commitment to social equality for women led to board membership on the Greater Victoria Women's Shelter Society, the sponsoring society for the Downtown Women's Project and Sandy Merriman House. Sally played a very active role in this project, working closely with her board colleagues, community and political stakeholders, construction personnel, and the women for whom the project was devoted. Sally is remembered by many as a "nurse's nurse", in that one of her greatest passions in life was her commitment to nursing, its practitioners and ultimately the people receiving our care. Particularly, in her final role as a patient care coordinator at VGH and Jubilee Hospitals, creating a practice environment that supported nurses in providing the best patient care using the resources available to them. She had a fearless courage to stand her ground when needed, but if a unit was having a rough night she just as readily sent chocolate bars through the pneumatic tubes. She was the nurse we would want for our families, knowledgeable, skilled, courageous, kind and a wicked pinpoint sense of humor. In memory of Sally, please show loving kindness to your dogs, hold the people you care for close to your heart, and live with courage, integrity and passion. Her family invites friends and family to a farewell gathering for her on September 24, 2-5 p.m. at the family home in Metchosin.

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