Bourdeau: Shirley Marie (nee Miller) on August 26th, 2016 at the age of 88, quietly and gently our Mother left this life with family by her side. Our hearts and minds are so filled with love and treasured memories that we are overwhelmed with the depth of our gratitude that we had such beauty and perfect guidance to lead us through life’s journeys.
Shirley is predeceased by husband, Robert (Bob) Anthony Bourdeau, and an infant son, Richard Douglas; by her parents, George Ross Miller and Lucy Edna Miller (Hanson); by her sister, Bertha Morrow (Miller), brothers Bud Miller and wife Shirley Miller, Donnie Miller and wife Isabel and brother, Ernie Miller; her dear friend Philip Hanes.Shirley is survived by her brother Larry Charles Miller, her sister-in-law Joann Bell (Doug), her children, Bob Bourdeau, Sharron MacBride (Phil), Michael Bourdeau (Anne), Paul Bourdeau (Cheryl), Joe Bourdeau (Maggie) and Tony Bourdeau. Grandchildren : Corey, Nikki, Jaime, Stephanie, Matthew, Christopher, John, Stephen, Nicholas, Eric, Andrew, Scott, Ashley, Caitlin and Alysha. Great Grand Children: Kayla, Courtney, Faith, Hope, Aiden, Kael, Jade, Julia, Isabella, Carter, Riley, Naomi, Beckett and our little angel in heaven, Caiden. Shirley also cared deeply for her many, many nieces and nephews.
Family and friends were always important to her and our father and they passed that on to their children. Shirley embraced people easily with her caring nature and was considered a dear friend to many.
Shirley was born in Chatham, Ontario, married there and then raised her family in Kingston Ontario. Several years after Bob died she moved to British Columbia where she met a gentleman friend, Philip Hanes, so Shirley settled in the beautiful mountain town of Smithers for about 12 years. She was an active member of the Telkwa and Smithers Seniors groups. She curled and bowled, sang in the choir, played cribbage and won several medals as part of carpet bowling teams in both the local venues and the BC Seniors games. She was very proud of the bronze, silver and gold medals that she and her teams won. In 2014, we moved Mom to Prince George as her journey with Alzheimer’s unfolded. Mom always remained sweet and kind throughout this struggle and we are grateful for that. Thank you so much to the dear staff and friends at the Rainbow Day Centre she attended while still mobile. It was a place of love and laughter and offered bright moments in a time when life could feel dark. Your genuine love for the special service you provide was so apparent every day.
To the staff at the Jubilee Lodge where Mom spent her final 8 months as she required more care, we thank you deeply and sincerely. The love and care offered by the staff was a comfort. You cared for her body and you cared for her spirit. So many of you took the time to encourage her to talk about her life and share her stories.
The gentleness and love you treated our Mother with, made it so much easier to go back out those doors at the end of the day. Your care in her final hours was perfect. And now we must go on with her only in our hearts.
A Celebration of Shirley’s Life will be held at the John C. Badder Funeral Home, 72 Victoria St., Thamesville on Friday, September 9, 2016 at 11:00AM.
Interment St. Paul’s Cemetery, Thamesville. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Society or Heart and Stroke Foundation would be lovely.Online condolences and donations may be left at www.badderfuneralhome.com
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Arrangements entrusted to Badder Funeral Homes, Dresden.
