Molly Elizabeth Stevens was born in England on December 7th, 1931 and Molly Elizabeth Lewis passed away on December 7th, 2019 - 88 years later to the day.

 

A true Sagittarius; she was known for her independence, restless spirit, honest behaviour and creative mindset. A woman ahead of her time and yet steeped in tradition. She always dressed and presented herself in her unique style. She stood out in any crowd.

 

Seeking the adventures of a new life with her husband, Jim, Molly emigrated from England to Canada on a three-week long voyage with 4 seasick children in tow. She left behind her mother, father, and 4 siblings. She made a great sacrifice and a piece of her always remained in England.

 

Molly had 6 children, 3 girls and 3 boys. She also birthed several businesses timed with the growing needs of her family. When the children were small she transformed her home into an in-home nursery school serving the community for several years. Later, she remained at home by transforming her kitchen, with great care and precision, into an assembly-line meat pie factory which supplied many of the local shops with traditional English meat pies. They were delicious!

 

Molly always parented like a "mother bear" protecting her children plus making her home a safe place for many of the neighborhood kids. She joined Winnipeg's Children's Hospital when she returned to her nursing practice and brought home many stories from the Emergency Room. She exposed her children to many of the challenges involved in life in hopes of preparing them to meet those challenges. Molly’s career moved from caring for children at The Children’s Hospital to caring for the aged at Holiday Haven and eventually retiring, at age 65, as the Director.

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Never one for being idle, even when she was sitting down, she was embroidering Christmas Stockings, sewing clothes, or knitting sweaters as the four seasons dictated. Some winters she would join the local curling team. One summer she won the nail-hammering contest at the Buffalo BBQ. Her competitive spirit was not loud but it was there.

 

Molly challenged herself to always be learning. She loved freedom, so as a senior she learned how to fly a small plane and she conquered her fear of water by learning how to swim. In her younger years she would always say, "Never put me closer to a body of water bigger than a cup of tea!"

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She possessed a wonderful sense of humor evidenced by her enormous laugh that could fill a room. She related well to every generation, as can be attested by her 14 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.

 

Part "City Mouse" part "Country Mouse" Molly bought a farm on Wilkes Ave, with a small house and a big barn. There she grew and harvested vegetables and wrangled with her very stubborn Shetland pony. She raised chickens, ducks, and turkeys to feed her family. She had a pony that didn't want to live in the barn and a duck that wanted to live in the house. It was hard for her to say no to any stray or pet in search of a home. Consequently, many dogs, cats and even a raccoon found a home at Molly’s.

 

Longing for her English roots Molly was always ready to travel and explore. She loved Vancouver and took her family there on summer vacation as it felt very much like her homeland.

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She liked travelling to Toronto, Tofino, Nanaimo, Calgary, Los Angeles, Denver and England to visit her friends, children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and her siblings over the years. When she was no longer able to travel and unwilling to be isolated from those she loved, Molly learned how to master the iPad, exchanging pictures and messages with those she could no longer visit. She remained connected, alert, fresh, and current by playing "Words with Friends" - many times having 50 games going at one time! "How did I ever manage without this? “ she would ask with the marvel and glee of a young child tickled with new-found autonomy.

 

It is with heavy hearts that we bid her farewell. She will be missed.