Obituary of Eileen Mary Weald

MUM 1915 – 2014 Eileen, Mary Weald (nee Line) was a survivor. She was born July 28, 1915 during WW1 in Plumstead, England to Daisy and Stanley Line. She was the eldest in the family and was often in charge of unruly brothers, John, Eric, stepbrother Derek Cox and a younger sister Muriel. Eric and Muriel and their families survive in England. Mum married Graham Brown Weald in 1937 in The Mansion House, London England (the Lord May’s house). Graham died July 2, 1982 in Langley B.C. Eileen is also survived by her daughter Pamela Mary Handley, (Peter) North Bay, granddaughter Mairi (Leo Phillips), Belleville, grandson Peter Jon Handley (Erika) and great granddaughter Eilah of Ottawa. Her daughter, Patricia Daisy Derksen, (Larry) B.C., grandsons Michael (Alicia) great grandchildren Deuce and McKenna in Calgary, and grandson Lorne and granddaughter Suanne in B.C. Eileen was predeceased by her son Robert in 1996 and his wife Susan in 1991, their son Richard survives in Vancouver. Robert’s 2nd wife Lynn Easler Weald also survives with her two grown children Matthew and Sarah by her first husband. Mum went out to work at age 14 where her father got her a job working at Vickers in Woolwich. After this she began her apprenticeship at the Hinds Dept. Store in the needlework dept. earning 2/6 a week, dinner and half day Saturday. She cycled 10-12 miles from her home in Plumstead to Blackheath, near Greenwich, for this position for 2 years. Next another shop for a year in the haberdashery dept. then her uncle Tudor got her into Yeagers on Oxford St. in London for one year from where she was transferred to the Victoria Street ladies wear dept. and window dressing. It was in Yeagers she recalls seeing Queen Mary shopping with her lady in waiting. This hints of the current TV serial Selfridges, the big dept. store which Mum also remembers in London. Mum met Dad at a policeman’s dance and they continued going dancing and to the pictures until they married in London in 1937. From there they survived WW2 with Mum looking after baby Pamela in the Underground shelter only to return home to find it had been badly damaged so they moved to Welling, Kent to live with her parents. Dad remained with the City of London Police and when on duty one night and seeing both sides of the Thames in flames, decided to join up and came to Canada to train under the Commonwealth Training Programme as a R.A.F. navigator. Mum looked after her two little girls, in Kent with her parents, while Dad served in India for four years. During the times in Kent or in Portsmouth with Dad’s sister Dolly (merchant seaman husband lost in the Med.) there were always relatives coming home on leave in uniform from their various wartime jobs, which lead to memorable parties with Daisy playing the piano. In 1948 our family immigrated to Canada, during a North Atlantic storm on the Aquatania, at the invitation of a family Dad had met in London, Ontario during his training. In London Mum worked on the Simpsons catalogue switchboard order office until son Robert was born. While in London Dad fixed up six houses while Mum made them homes and welcomed friends and relatives from England to stay until they got settled. There are fond memories of doing dishes in a huge kitchen, huge canasta evenings, listening to “Stop the Music” and expecting the phone to ring anytime to ask us if we knew the mystery tune while enjoying Mum’s memorable butter tarts and grilled cheese sandwiches. The Glidden Paint Co. moved Dad to North Bay then out to Regina, further west to Vancouver and Victoria. Once the children left home, Mum immersed herself in volunteer work in the various Lions’ senior complexes she and Dad lived in and then in WHO, Widows Helping Others after Dad died. Mum spent many hours sewing and knitting clothing for her children while they were young and after they left home took up another hobby of ceramics, cleaning many pieces of greenware then painting them so beautifully. She has given many pieces away but we still have a few treasures examples of her work. However Mum still continued knitting for various fund raising groups including knitting dish cloths, even when near blind for St. John’s teas and bazaars. Mum celebrated her 89th birthday in Kingston, ON at her granddaughter Mairi’s home during her journey home to North Bay where she lived at the Golden Age Towers for 10 years. While there she immediately joined the Wednesday morning Coffee Hour making fast friends and even after she became legally blind, still sat at the door to welcome everyone. Mum was always ready Sunday mornings, waiting outside with her walker, for Pamela to pick her up for Church at St. John’s. Then other times picking up lunch at Tim’s and taking it to Sunset Park or sitting on the Waterfront to watch The Chief come in. And riding on the Chief was one of her greatest joys, especially the French River Trip on a Sunday afternoon. This she continued even after she became blind because she said she still had the pictures of the trip in her memory and could enjoy them all over again. Mum entered hospital again in April and on July 28 she and many other patients, staff, friends and family and 2 therapy dogs celebrated her 99th birthday - it was truly a happy and blessed occasion. While in hospital she made many friends with other patients and staff and regarded A1 to be the end of her journey. But God was not finished with her yet and in October Mum was finally able to move in with her family on Cedar Heights where she delighted in cutting up dates for bran muffins and all the fixings for Thanksgiving stuffing. But after about 5 weeks she began feeling very tired and stayed more and more in her sunny room overlooking the garden. On Thursday, November 20th, 3 burly ambulance attendants again trundled her down the hill to the hospital. Her family members from Calgary, Ottawa and Belleville all arrived and stayed with her in shifts throughout her remaining days, appreciating so much the cot, the snacks and help the nursing staff so generously gave us all. Then when her family all had left to travel back to their various cities on Sunday, and I was at home for a rest, she must have thought at last they have all gone and I can have some peace and quiet. Her remaining couple of hours were spent with her dear friend who had phoned to offer to sit with Mum for awhile, we are sure at God’s suggestion. Mum died so gently about 6 p.m. on Sunday, November 23, 2014. At last she was free to be with her darling husband Graham and their son Robert and her Blessed Saviour, Jesus whom, she knew were all waiting for her. As she wished, Eileen has been cremated and her Memorial Service will be held at The Church of St. John The Divine, 301 Main St. E. North Bay on Saturday, December 13th, 2014. Visitation in the Church from 9:00am followed at 10:30am with a Service of Holy Communion. Reception to follow in the Thornloe Room of the Church.. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Church of St. John the Divine, The North Bay Regional Health Centre or to a charity of your choice would be welcome. Thank you, Pamela Handley, Daughter. Arrangements entrusted to Martyn Funeral Home.