Obituaries

D’ARCY ELLEN SUMMERS (nee ARMSTRONG) It is with a considerable amount of grief and sadness but an overwhelming sense of serenity that we announce the passing of D’Arcy Summers on Friday, May 25, 2012, of complications associated to a bone marrow transplant at the age of 49 years. Left to forever cherish D’Arcy’s memory are her loving husband Brett; sons Sean (Janique) and Jordan; granddaughter Keira; mother-in-law Jean Summers; father Lorne (Gina) Armstrong; brother Derek; sisters Robin Armstrong and Pamela (William) Steacy; nieces Haileigh Crowthers, Santana and Ruby Steacy; as well as many close friends and many, many other friends. She was predeceased by her mother Marilynne Armstrong; bio-father Brent Hicks; and her father-in-law Doug Summers. D’Arcy was born and raised in Winnipeg, attended John Taylor Collegiate and graduated from Oak Park High School. She spent her summers camping and fishing in Kamsack, Saskatchewan, and later in Northern Ontario with her mom and dad, and brother and sisters. She was older than her siblings and loved to take on the role as their other parent although the feeling was not always mutual. After high school D’Arcy immediately enrolled at the University of Manitoba and held three to four part time jobs while going to school. She graduated with a B.A. Sociology in 1985. She was an extremely reliable and hard working young lady and usually became close friends with her managers and co-workers. It was while picking up an extra shift at Safeway that D’Arcy met her bag boy Brett on July 18, 1981. Brett had an extra ticket to Styx that night and didn’t think he had a chance but took a shot. In the following years she and Brett spent a great deal of time with Brett’s family and his other family, his Uncle Steve and Aunt June Patrick and their kids. In particular they spent many summer days at the Patrick cottage at Falcon Lake. D’Arcy became Doug Summers’ first mate on his pontoon sail boat as most others were too scared to go out on the water with him. Brett is extremely proud to admit he over-married by a large margin as they wed on September 12, 1987. After working at several City of Winnipeg Departments D’Arcy joined the Winnipeg Police Department as a staff member in 1987. She left the service in 1990, so that she could spend more time with Sean who was born in 1988. Jordan was born in 1991, and D’Arcy spent the subsequent years being a loving, patient and exhausted mom. She would spend hours colouring and playing with the boys while she and Brett lived on Moorgate Street in St. James. In 1994, the family moved to St. Boniface and D’Arcy later rejoined the Winnipeg Police Service as a 911 operator and as a direct voice entry operator where she worked until she was diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia in October 2010. In the interim D’Arcy was blessed with a granddaughter Keira who was born in 2005. They would spend hours together gardening, identifying things living in the garden, baking, doing household chores, engaging in lengthy conversations, singing and colouring where she taught Keira the rules of colouring: 1. Colour in the lines 2. Do your best 3. If you finish your picture first, help your friend finish theirs D’Arcy had the most engaging smile and wore it consistently and with ease. She was approached daily by complete strangers who asked directions (good luck), where to find items in stores or which plants they should buy, recipes or what colours they should choose for decorating. Her many friends were also her gardening, shopping, cooking, baking, jewelry making, travelling, cottaging, scrapbooking, sewing, decorating, wine drinking, margarita blending, Sudoku, crypto quotes, dancing, jogging, yoga-ing, running, golfing, and singing partners. Together, D’Arcy and Brett loved to drive to the Grand Forks for the weekend to shop and relax. D’Arcy granted Brett’s lone bucket list wish and accompanied him to Lincoln to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers. It was one of the most cherished moments in Brett’s life and a wonderful getaway for them both. D’Arcy also served as an assistant coach and manager on many of Sean and Jordan soccer teams when they were young and she was completely devoted to watching them compete in judo, hockey, lacrosse, mountain biking, fencing, soccer, inline hockey, hockey and football. D’Arcy was the ultimate sport mom and proud of it and of her sons’ many accomplishments. Her boys meant everything to her. D’Arcy began cancer treatment in January 2011 but by March it was evident the treatment was not meeting its goals. She took the summer to visit her family in British Columbia accompanied by Brett, Sean and Keira. It was a trip of a lifetime and she spent every minute of it soaking up family, especially her nieces Santana and Ruby and watching them play with Keira. She also spent her last of many Mayfest’s and Bellfest’s with her very good friends the May and Bell families. In the fall she began further treatments and ultimately received a bone marrow transplant on November 15, 2011. Complications arose in February and on March 9 she received an infusion of more bone marrow. Further complications arose that eventually led to her passing on in peace surrounded by her husband, sons and close friends. Brett would like to thank Reverend Jamie Howison, Sean, Susan Pearce and Darlene Rivard for helping guide D’Arcy with their caring words in her final moments with us. The Summers family would also like to recognize the kindness, compassion and determined efforts demonstrated by everyone at CancerCare Manitoba and the GD6 ward at Health Sciences Centre. Special thanks to Dr. R. Kumar who was D’Arcy’s primary physician, Tom Roche, and Susan Pearce, Bonnie Camirand and unit attendants Bert, Dolly, Frank and Paula, and room attendant Nadira all whom saw D’Arcy on daily basis and sang with her, talked, did puzzles, told stories, gave poetry and revelled in the Boston Bruins existence with her. Almost all the nurses on the GD6 ward treated D’Arcy. Brett will forever be grateful for their professionalism, compassion and consideration for D’Arcy’s well being and dignity. Their duties are complex and difficult but their kindness is immeasurable.D’Arcy you will be forever cherished as a best friend and wife, mother, daughter, sister, grandmother aunt and friend. Your intelligence, strength, will, caring, kindness and compassion for others was limitless and your influence was and will forever be felt.A Service celebrating D’Arcy’s life will be held in St. Benedict’s Table located in All Saints Anglican Church, 175 Colony Street (Broadway and Osborne) on Wednesday, May 30, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the Summers family invite you all to use and share D’Arcy’s rules of colouring with your friends and family.    As published in the Winnipeg Free Press on May 28, 2012