Tribute

On Nov 20 2009 our beloved Mother left us to a very special place with God. She was surrounded by her surviving daughters, two son-in laws and special friend Eunice. She was predeceased by her husband Norm, her daughter Sandra and grandson Andrew. She is survived by her children, Ian (Sherril) Gorrie, Cathy Hendricks, Trish (Norm) Osland, Brenda (Don) Wilkinson, Norman Gorrie, Dennis (Kim) Gorrie, Lisa (Brian) Hiller; grandchildren Chandel, Michael, Peter, Stephen, Chandra, Anthony, Tasha, James, Elizabeth, as well as many great-grandchildren.

Helen was a WAC in Edinburgh working in the officer’s mess, when she met a young Catholic Canadian Air Force training pilot named Norman Gorrie. She was impressed with his moral convictions and dated him a few times. Norm suffered a tremendous leg injury in a crash during flight training. This resulted in 4 months hospitalization in which Helen visited daily. On March 5 1944, Helen could not get the day off to marry Norm, so she went AWOL and was court marshaled to kitchen duty. At the end of the war Norm was shipped home, but Helen, being too far along in her pregnancy was unable to make the journey at that time. After a harrowing delivery of her first child, as during the war women were just restrained on thin beds, as there was no time to attend to them, due to military injuries, she delivered 24 hrs later, a baby girl. Nine months later, she left the sophisticated city of Edinburgh on the Queen Mary, making the long sail with a very sea sick baby, to a husband she hardly knew, to the very small town of Holden Alberta. At first they lived with her stern Mother-in –law, until they could move to Edmonton where she then had a son, later moving to Burnaby, she had six more children. Raising such a large family took most of her time, but always enjoyed walking her dog. When living in Burnaby, it was very important to live near the Catholic Church, and had all of her children attend the Catholic School. Later after raising all her children, she was the happiest on Sidley Mountain Road in Bridesville, where she always said the air was pure. She is now in a place where it is even purer.
A very special thanks to Brenda and Don for the last 3 months of special loving care.
In lieu of flowers, donations to the Knights of Columbus would be gratefully appreciated.
A funeral mass will be held at 1:00 P.M. Friday November 27, 2009 at Christ the King Catholic Church. Interment & committal will follow at the Oliver Municipal Cemetery. A reception in the church basement will be hosted by the CWL following the interment.
Condolences may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com Arrangements entrusted to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service & Crematorium, Oliver & Osoyoos, BC