VALERIE BOWLES

Valerie “The Sunshine Gal” Bowles was born on September 4th, 1949, in Winnipeg to parents Michael and Caroline Patrician. She was the middle of three children, predeceased by her brother John, and survived by her sister Joan. Val is also survived by her Husband Don, daughter Michelle (Kevin), and grandson Kendon.

Val married Don Bowles, the love of her life, on May 12th, 1979, and celebrated close to 44 years together. Family was important to Val, and she loved having a large extended family with her sister Joan, and her children, Karen (Chris) and Kevin (Jen), and their children, Kaylee, Kenzie, Ty, Nicole, and Kate. Her extended family also included her sister-in-law Eva and her children, Emily and Matthew (Jessie), and their children, Lewis and Rosie. 

Val loved being a grandma and would take every opportunity to spend time with her grandson, Kendon, taking him on outings to the Zoo, Fort Whyte, The Children’s Museum, and other locations that she was excited to share with him. She was looking forward to being a 2x grandma to Michelle and Kevin’s second son, expected in August 2023. 

Val's career spanned over 30 years in various inner-city schools. She worked in various positions, including a special education teacher, a resource teacher, and, to close off her career, a guidance counselor.  

Through the joy she felt in her career, she made many long-term friendships, leading to her being a long-time book club member until the end. We want to thank her colleagues and book club friends for their support, resources, and visits during Val's final weeks.

She was a long-standing member of the "Sailing Club," which has adapted through several locations. She had cared much for these ladies who gave this back to her tenfold.

You may start to gather that Val liked to keep herself busy, but this barely scratches the surface. In addition to what was already mentioned, Val volunteered with the Assiniboine Park at the Zoo, Prairie Theatre, and other causes. She took it upon herself to plant flowers and tend to the gardens at her condo complex, making wine, cross-country skiing, going to the gym, making seasonal floral and other arrangements for family and friends in Winnipeg and the Interlake at the cottage, stained glass work, and much much more. 

If you tried to keep up with Val's life, you'd be left breathless and in the dust. Val didn't stop moving and didn’t believe in following the rules, often viewing rules as suggestions. If something needed to be done, she'd find a way and think outside the box, often steamrolling people and processes as she did.

After meeting her son-in-law, Kevin, Val started donating blood again; her goal was to reach 50 donations in her lifetime. Unfortunately, she was one donation short before the illness took over and provided 49 life-saving donations to others.

She always made sure to call old friends to let them know she was thinking about them and even some of their relatives when she thought of it. She had enjoyed her long-time friendship with a girlfriend, Dawn, who lives in Victoria and is very special to Val and vice-versa.                  

Val enjoyed planning their winter and spring vacations with travel to Europe, the Maritimes, sun holidays, and winter ski trips. She also took a trip on the Am Track with a girlfriend to Chicago, which allowed them lots of adventure.  

Val approached her illness with courage and positivity. She was at peace with what was to come and frequently talked about how she lived a good life, went on many adventures, enjoyed her career, raised a wonderful daughter, and spent precious time with Kendon.

But all good things must end, and Val passed peacefully on April 24th at 12:45pm with her husband Don and sister Joan by her side. We believe she won her battle and is now pain-free.

Thank you to the staff at Victoria General Hospital, who helped manage her quality of life, and all the friends and family who came to visit and spend time with her.

In lieu of flowers, the family request you make a donation to Assiniboine Park, the Winnipeg Humane Society, Prairie Strides, or Cancer Care Manitoba. 

Her Celebration of Life will be on May 4th at the First Unitarian Church at 603 Wellington Crescent at 2:00 pm with support of EthicalDeathCare.com. The celebration will be officiated by Reverend Robin Mather.

A live stream of the celebration will be available on YouTube. Guests can watch using the link below.

http://youtu.be/4P4hj2QPxDM

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ETHICAL DEATH CARE

Cremation & Life Celebrations

530 St. Mary Avenue - Winnipeg

204-421-5501 - www.ethicaldeathcare.com

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