It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Florence Taylor, 92, of Winnipeg, MB. at St. Nobert’s Personal Care Home, January 16, 2022.

 

Florence, many knew her as Nita, was born to the late Frank and Louise Porter of Port Rexton, Trinity Bay, NL. She was predeceased by her sister Patricia, brothers Frank and Harold.

 

Married to the late Kenneth Taylor for over 40 years, and the late Stanley Richardson (2004 -2014), Nita is survived by her daughter, Catherine Taylor, grandson, Taylor D’Amours and son-in-law, Charles D’Amours; as well as nieces and nephews from NL. to BC., as well as step-sons Tom and Bill Richardson.

 

Once finished her schooling in NL, she travelled to Toronto to begin her a new life, it was clear early on that Nita had a sense of adventure and curiosity.

 

Living in Toronto, my parents attended symphony concerts and the ballet at the old Massey Hall, this was where at a very young age, I was introduced and fell in love with ballet. My mother discovered opera and fell in love with the works of Wagner, but loved Puccini, Verdi and all the others as well. One of the most cherished times for both my mother and I was when my dear husband Charles organized tickets to the Seattle Opera to see Ben Heppner in Tristan and Isolde, what a thrill to see my mother so enraptured in this amazing performance!

 

She had a head for numbers, and her work life was in office administration and accounting. She was well admired wherever she worked with many work colleagues becoming good friends. I know and deeply appreciate that my mother (and father) worked hard so that I could study dance, which eventually became my lifetime career.

 

Nita loved going to the thoroughbred horse races in Toronto, our monthly Sunday outings to the races were always the most fun! She had a love and empathy for animals, we always had a cat or 2 in our home. My mom always wanted a duck and a goat, not sure where they would have fitted in, but if she could have, she would have!

 

She and my father were one of the first ‘commuters’ in Toronto, when they decided to build a home on land north of Stouffville, Ontario; they started their commuting life; building that house was a proud accomplishment of my parents and we had many wonderful times while living there. But that adventurous spirit took hold again, when after 10 years they sold the house and hitched up a trailer to travel part way across Canada and down through the US to Mexico. They decided to stay in Santa Barbara, California for a year, where they enjoyed going to the beaches for long walks and picnics and taking in the surrounding areas.

 

After California, off to northern Alberta where they both worked in Fort McMurray, my mother’s sister Pat and husband were there, it was one of the only times the two of them lived in the same city as adults, as close sisters this was a rare time together, a time they both cherished.

 

Next off to Winnipeg, where I was now living and working, they settled in the St. Vital on Kingston Crescent, where they enjoyed their wonderful neighbours and community. Somehow 2 more cats came into their lives during this time.  The Winnipeg Symphony, Manitoba Opera and of course the Royal Winnipeg Ballet (where I was both a dancer and rehearsal coach) were always attended. She loved long walks at St. Vital Park – she loved being in nature.

 

My mother was overjoyed when her grandson Taylor came into our lives 1992, she was a wonderful grandmother, caring and nurturing in every way. I am indebted to her and my father for their support to my family, my mother was so happy to be with her grandson much of his young life, he was lucky to have such care from his beloved Nanny.

 

After my father’s passing in 1996, she moved into Vic Wyatt House (VWH) where she lived a most enjoyable life, especially after meeting and marrying Stan Richardson. She was delighted to get to know Stan’s sons, Tom and Bill, whom she loved as soon as she met them, I know they adored her as well.  She discovered her love of the game of bridge, apparently was a darn good player, she and Stan were avid players. I have heard when meeting someone new moving into VWH my mother would ask “do you play bridge?”  She loved Jeopardy and Alex Trebek, she passed this onto all of us, we would enjoy the game together. She could watch Downton Abbey anytime it was on.

 

My mother was an excellent cook and went to great trouble preparing the healthiest of meals for her family and friends, she enjoyed many a good dinner party. Nita loved to read, she would have at least 2 books on the go, she shared many books with her VWH friends; we often talked about what we were reading and passed on our favourites to each other.

 

With all this moving about, she still enjoyed some time to travel! First and foremost was to visit her parents while alive in Newfoundland. Bermuda, Northern Ireland with my father and many winter visit to Victoria, BC with Stan, along with visits to Ottawa where my family moved to later.

 

We spoke to each other every night once I moved away to Ottawa in 2000, I still look at the clock and think ‘it’s time to call Mom’, we carried this on for over 20 years. I miss our calls, always will.

For any who had the pleasure of knowing my mother, Nita, they knew her to be the most wonderful woman, always ready with laugh and a heart of gold, generous to a fault, she wouldn’t have it any other way.

 

Special thanks to Susan Richardson who often visited and took her out to shop or a lunch. Also, to the excellent team at St. Norbert’s Personal Care Home for their care and compassion. To her beloved bridge friends and neighbours at VWH, you were so apart of my mother’s happy life there. I especially thank her good friend, Susan Manson, who attended dearly to my mother over the past several years. She and I were blessed to have you in our life.

 

What a most incredible woman my mother was, kind, friendly, helpful, loving, curious, courageous, she   lived with great forbearance when sadness was about. She was elegant, classy and at the same time down to earth. It is my great honour to give her beautiful life this small acknowledgement with these few paragraphs. How can you sum up all that she was, a wonderful friend, mother and grandmother.

 

Thank you, Mom for all that you were and are to me and your family and friends. We miss you greatly, the world needs more ‘Nita’ in it, our memories of you will stay in our hearts forever. We love you, my prayers for your eternal peace and happiness in you new journey will continue for the rest of my life, I am confident our lives are connected in both this life and lifetimes to come.

 

A simple gathering will be announced at a future date for friends and family. Should you wish to make a charitable donation in Nita’s name, she was passionate about (not in any particular order) the arts, animals and children of the world.