Mom was the most incredibly strong person I ever knew, yet she had a heart of gold. She was born at the beginning of the depression in Montreal, Quebec, the sixth of eight children born to George Colby and Maggie McKernan.
Mom finished high school and immediately went to work for Bell Canada (Bell Telephone in those days). When she retired in 1983, she was the head of the computer tape library and one of the few female managers in the company at the time. She was a pioneer in Bell's efforts to computerize.
Mom and my father divorced when I was only 9 and while she had a good job, she struggled to raise me on her own. She was a single Mom in the days when it wasn't "fashionable" to be in that situation, yet she made the best of it.
In 1973, she married again to Eric Paterson and had 34 happy years with him. Eric made sure Mom was active, getting her interested in golf, tennis, sailing, skiing and a host of other sports. Mom was a "doer", so while she enjoyed watching these sports, she also fully participated in each and every one. It was Eric who taught me to ski when I was just a youngster, something I will be forever grateful for.
Mom developed Kidney cancer in 1973 and had one of her kidneys removed in the summer of that year. For 34 years, she fought cancer valiantly. In 2001, she found out the cancer had spread to her lymph system, a year later to her pancreas, to her thyroid in early 2006 and finally to her liver in the fall of 2007. When she found out it had gone to her liver, her first comment was "I'm not worried about it". Mom's attitude was the epitome of courage and fortitude. Mom would often keep these new 'discoveries' from me and when I would scold her for not telling me, she would say she didn't want me to worry. She was always thinking of others.
She loved her grandchildren dearly and treasured the time she was able to spend with them. In return, she was loved by friends and family too numerous to mention. Truly, to know Mom was to love Mom.
She was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Pat, Marlyne and Florence and her granddaughter, Karen. She is survived by her husband, Eric, son, Stephen (Erin), sister, Maureen, brothers, Jack, George and Ronnie, as well as her grandchildren, Robbie, Elizabeth and Stephanie.
I am going to miss you so much Mom. My life will never be the same again. Keep a place for me.
Thank you to So Cal Graver for sponsoring Mom's memorial
Mom finished high school and immediately went to work for Bell Canada (Bell Telephone in those days). When she retired in 1983, she was the head of the computer tape library and one of the few female managers in the company at the time. She was a pioneer in Bell's efforts to computerize.
Mom and my father divorced when I was only 9 and while she had a good job, she struggled to raise me on her own. She was a single Mom in the days when it wasn't "fashionable" to be in that situation, yet she made the best of it.
In 1973, she married again to Eric Paterson and had 34 happy years with him. Eric made sure Mom was active, getting her interested in golf, tennis, sailing, skiing and a host of other sports. Mom was a "doer", so while she enjoyed watching these sports, she also fully participated in each and every one. It was Eric who taught me to ski when I was just a youngster, something I will be forever grateful for.
Mom developed Kidney cancer in 1973 and had one of her kidneys removed in the summer of that year. For 34 years, she fought cancer valiantly. In 2001, she found out the cancer had spread to her lymph system, a year later to her pancreas, to her thyroid in early 2006 and finally to her liver in the fall of 2007. When she found out it had gone to her liver, her first comment was "I'm not worried about it". Mom's attitude was the epitome of courage and fortitude. Mom would often keep these new 'discoveries' from me and when I would scold her for not telling me, she would say she didn't want me to worry. She was always thinking of others.
She loved her grandchildren dearly and treasured the time she was able to spend with them. In return, she was loved by friends and family too numerous to mention. Truly, to know Mom was to love Mom.
She was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Pat, Marlyne and Florence and her granddaughter, Karen. She is survived by her husband, Eric, son, Stephen (Erin), sister, Maureen, brothers, Jack, George and Ronnie, as well as her grandchildren, Robbie, Elizabeth and Stephanie.
I am going to miss you so much Mom. My life will never be the same again. Keep a place for me.
Thank you to So Cal Graver for sponsoring Mom's memorial
Mom was the most incredibly strong person I ever knew, yet she had a heart of gold. She was born at the beginning of the depression in Montreal, Quebec, the sixth of eight children born to George Colby and Maggie McKernan.
Mom finished high school and immediately went to work for Bell Canada (Bell Telephone in those days). When she retired in 1983, she was the head of the computer tape library and one of the few female managers in the company at the time. She was a pioneer in Bell's efforts to computerize.
Mom and my father divorced when I was only 9 and while she had a good job, she struggled to raise me on her own. She was a single Mom in the days when it wasn't "fashionable" to be in that situation, yet she made the best of it.
In 1973, she married again to Eric Paterson and had 34 happy years with him. Eric made sure Mom was active, getting her interested in golf, tennis, sailing, skiing and a host of other sports. Mom was a "doer", so while she enjoyed watching these sports, she also fully participated in each and every one. It was Eric who taught me to ski when I was just a youngster, something I will be forever grateful for.
Mom developed Kidney cancer in 1973 and had one of her kidneys removed in the summer of that year. For 34 years, she fought cancer valiantly. In 2001, she found out the cancer had spread to her lymph system, a year later to her pancreas, to her thyroid in early 2006 and finally to her liver in the fall of 2007. When she found out it had gone to her liver, her first comment was "I'm not worried about it". Mom's attitude was the epitome of courage and fortitude. Mom would often keep these new 'discoveries' from me and when I would scold her for not telling me, she would say she didn't want me to worry. She was always thinking of others.
She loved her grandchildren dearly and treasured the time she was able to spend with them. In return, she was loved by friends and family too numerous to mention. Truly, to know Mom was to love Mom.
She was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Pat, Marlyne and Florence and her granddaughter, Karen. She is survived by her husband, Eric, son, Stephen (Erin), sister, Maureen, brothers, Jack, George and Ronnie, as well as her grandchildren, Robbie, Elizabeth and Stephanie.
I am going to miss you so much Mom. My life will never be the same again. Keep a place for me.
Thank you to So Cal Graver for sponsoring Mom's memorial
Mom finished high school and immediately went to work for Bell Canada (Bell Telephone in those days). When she retired in 1983, she was the head of the computer tape library and one of the few female managers in the company at the time. She was a pioneer in Bell's efforts to computerize.
Mom and my father divorced when I was only 9 and while she had a good job, she struggled to raise me on her own. She was a single Mom in the days when it wasn't "fashionable" to be in that situation, yet she made the best of it.
In 1973, she married again to Eric Paterson and had 34 happy years with him. Eric made sure Mom was active, getting her interested in golf, tennis, sailing, skiing and a host of other sports. Mom was a "doer", so while she enjoyed watching these sports, she also fully participated in each and every one. It was Eric who taught me to ski when I was just a youngster, something I will be forever grateful for.
Mom developed Kidney cancer in 1973 and had one of her kidneys removed in the summer of that year. For 34 years, she fought cancer valiantly. In 2001, she found out the cancer had spread to her lymph system, a year later to her pancreas, to her thyroid in early 2006 and finally to her liver in the fall of 2007. When she found out it had gone to her liver, her first comment was "I'm not worried about it". Mom's attitude was the epitome of courage and fortitude. Mom would often keep these new 'discoveries' from me and when I would scold her for not telling me, she would say she didn't want me to worry. She was always thinking of others.
She loved her grandchildren dearly and treasured the time she was able to spend with them. In return, she was loved by friends and family too numerous to mention. Truly, to know Mom was to love Mom.
She was predeceased by her parents, her sisters Pat, Marlyne and Florence and her granddaughter, Karen. She is survived by her husband, Eric, son, Stephen (Erin), sister, Maureen, brothers, Jack, George and Ronnie, as well as her grandchildren, Robbie, Elizabeth and Stephanie.
I am going to miss you so much Mom. My life will never be the same again. Keep a place for me.
Thank you to So Cal Graver for sponsoring Mom's memorial
