Marie "Shirley" Marcella Charlotte ENGLAND

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our wonderful mother Shirley. Mom died peacefully at the Rose Villa in Rosetown on March 27, 2021. She will be missed so very much.

Mom was born in Shaunavon Saskatchewan on May 18, 1918. Her dad, Joseph Demers was a station agent for Canadian Pacific Railways in Govenlock. After a move to Sutherland, the Demers family settled in Stranraer where she spent the next 55 years of her life.

In the late 30’s, mom started dating Lyle England who was working at his cousin Vern Bradley’s farm. They began dating and were married on April 3, 1940. They started their own farm and two years later were blessed with a baby girl, Irene. Tragically, Irene was stricken with diabetes and passed away at 3 years old. A couple of years later, Rick was born and as mom said, they started to live again. Rick was followed by Jerry, Ron and finally Randy.

In 1964, Mom and Dad decided to branch out from the farm and purchased Drew’s store in Stranraer. They operated that until it was lost in a fire in 1972. She went from working 10-hour days to doing nothing literally overnight. After a couple of months of boredom, Shirley started working for Livingston-Porter clothing store in Rosetown. She stayed there for about 3 months then started work at Fosters Travel Agency where she became a travel agent. And let me tell you, she absolutely loved it. In 1978, she was in the process of buying Biggar Travel when dad took sick with a stroke and she had to back away from that adventure to look after him. It wasn’t long till she was offered the manager position at Wilson’s Travel in Rosetown where she stayed until her retirement in 1987. In her travel career she got to see so much of the world and was a richer person because of it.

Mom loved dancing, bowling and going to the lake with family and friends. We spent almost every summer weekend at Aquadeo Beach swimming and surf boarding behind Coulter’s boat.

After dad passed away in 1998, she moved to Camrose where she lived in a home that her son Ron owned. While back in Rosetown at a dance club night she met Don Ross, they hit it off right away and she eventually moved back to Rosetown and lived happily with Don for the next 13 years.

Mom loved to have a good time. Whether it was dancing, dishrag fights with her kids and their friends in the store, surfboarding behind Doug’s boat or tobogganing down the driveway with her grandkids she was always having fun.

Mom wrote an autobiography and we’d like to share a bit of her her epilogue.

“As I lie awake in the early morning hours, I realize how many more experiences I could relate, but I hope I’ve told you enough that you can understand why I developed into such a “kooky” character. I have been blessed with wonderful grandchildren and great grandchildren! I’ve traveled the globe, I’ve lived! What more could I ask?"

Yes mom, you surely did live.

Shirley was predeceased by her husband Lyle in 1998, beloved daughter Irene in 1945 and special friend Don Ross in 2017. She is survived by her sons Rick (Carole), Jerry (Sue), Ron (Linda) and Randy (Janet), grandchildren Dennis, Neal, January, Erin, Amy, Kevin, Jennifer, Steve, Renee, Tammie and Curtis as well as 15 great-grandchildren.

A heartfelt thank you from our family to the staff at Rose Villa, who cared for mom over the past three years. Your compassion and care was overwhelming and will never be forgotten. In lieu of flowers we would like to ask that donations be made to the Activity Fund at Rose Villa (Heartland Health Region (Rosetown & District Health Centre Long Term Care Centre Activity Fund), P.O. Box 653, Rosetown, SK S0L 2V0.

Interment will be in Stranraer with a memorial in the Elks Hall at a later date.