Tribute

Ann Phyllis Edwards, age 89, went home to glory on March 11th, 2026, after a sudden heart failure.  Ann went home in the presence of her sons, Paul and Dave, who prayed over her and sang a hymn of praise to God for her life. Ann leaves behind her sons, Paul (Tamela), John and David (Wendy), and her daughter Ruth, as well as grandchildren: Marianne, Justin, Chantelle, Dalton, Jason, Megan, Kyle, Heather, Hannah and Zack. She also had 12 great-grandchildren.  Ann had been living with her son Paul and daughter-in-law Tamela, the last 4+yrs of her life in Oliver, BC.

Ann was born in Portsmouth, England, where she went to school, sang in a choir at the local Methodist church and took trips with her mother to Christchurch to visit family and see the Cathedral where her father had been a choir boy. Ann also experienced the horrors of war – Portsmouth was a naval port and was bombed numerous times during World War 2 – she told stories of running to bomb shelters and seeing the carnage afterwards.  In her teens, she worked as a seamstress, sewing patches on military uniforms. After the war, she met her 1st husband, Ron, at a dance hall – Ann often laughed as she told the story of meeting Ron, our father, and telling him she was 18 years old when in fact she was still 17.  Not long after they met, they became engaged and then married on March 24, 1956.  Ann had her first son, Paul, in Portsmouth, England.  Then, in 1958, Ann, who was pregnant again, came to Canada with her oldest sister Stella – as both of their husbands had gone ahead to secure employment and a place to stay.  The families first came to Oliver BC, where Ann had her daughter, Christina – but due to circumstances not well understood, Christina died after only living about 2 weeks.  Ann and Ron went on to have 3 more children (John, David, Ruth) in Oliver. About 7 years after arriving in Canada, the 2 families moved to the coast, and Ann/Ron lived in several locations in Burnaby, and then lastly Langley, before moving again in 2000.  During her time at the coast, Ann was mostly a stay-at-home mother. She did work for a time at a senior’s home and also did some foster care for several years.

While married to Ron, Ann travelled extensively to the USA, England, Australia and Mexico.  Ann was married to Ron for 47 years before he went home to glory.  At the time of Ron’s passing, she was living at Vidette Lake near Kamloops, where she had moved with Ron to be with her daughter Ruth and her family.  Shortly after Ron’s passing (2003), Ann moved to Kamloops and then again to Armstrong.  During this time, Ann had met Henry “Harry”, and upon moving back to Oliver in 2007, they were married on May 25, 2008.  Henry then went home to glory in 2016, and Ann lived on her own until 2021. Ann had survived a minor heart attack and breast cancer while living independently, but in the summer of 2021, she felt she needed a bit more support, so she moved in with her oldest son, Paul.

Ann talked about her relationship with God, and she believed the message of the bible, that Jesus had died for her, and provided the way to that relationship. Ann enjoyed social times with family and friends.  She was part of a ladies’ birthday group while attending church in Burnaby.  She enjoyed singing hymns and reading her bible. She met her second husband at church in Kamloops and attended churches in Oliver in her later years – including the Winepress in Penticton. She volunteered at the local food bank in Oliver and enjoyed walking the hike and bike trail along the river. Ann was a “cat person” and had several cats throughout her life.  She will be remembered for her fabulous mince tarts at Christmas, her laughter and jokey attitude.

“Mumu” or “granny”, as she was fondly known, will be missed, but we all know she is with her Lord and loved ones, in a better place, with no more tears and no more sorrow (Revelation 21:4).