Obituaries

GAIL ELIZABETH MARY ANEMA
(Nee Grossman)
July 3rd, 1960 – June 10th, 2022

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Gail Anema in the early hours of June 10th, 2022, in her home near Lorette, MB. In the presence of family and many flowers from loved ones, Gail peacefully ceased her journey with terminal cancer at the far too young age of 61.

A beloved wife and mother, Gail leaves behind her husband of 38 years, David; their children Travis, Elizabeth (Alain), Rebecca (Cooper), and Tory; her precious grandsons Daniel and Jacob; her father, Gerard; brothers Gerald (Nancy), Mark, Michael (Tracy), Paul (Sandra), and Norman (Susan); as well as many nieces and nephews, cousins, and countless friends. Gail is joyfully received in Heaven by her mother Merle, niece Rachel, cousin Bonnie, her mother and father-in-law, and the four babies she carried but never got to bring home.

Born July 3rd 1960 at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, Gail is the oldest and only girl of 6 children. She spent her early childhood at Sunshine Corner in St. Vital where her parents ran a small general store. She had many treasured memories as a little girl playing in the trees with her brothers and neighbourhood children. At the age of 10, her parents bought an area of farmland nestled alongside the Seine River just outside the small town of Lorette. Gail cultivated lifelong loves of growing, gardening, baking, and preserving during her years on the farm helping her mother feed their large family. Despite the hard work, Gail learned many lessons on perseverance and making your own fun doing dull chores, as well as the satisfaction of everyone sitting down to a family meal where nearly everything had been grown and prepared themselves.

A hardworking and intelligent student, Gail attended Ecole Lagimodiere and College Lorette Collegiate where she learned French as a second language, and most enjoyed math and science. Studious and diligent by nature, Gail received the Governor General Award upon her graduation in 1978, as well as a year scholarship to agriculture at the University of Manitoba, followed by another year at Winnipeg Bible College. It was the summer of 1979 that Gail met David at Lacoste Garden Center where they both worked. They began dating and quickly fell in love, marrying on August 18th, 1984, at Christ the King Church in Winnipeg, MB. They moved to the quiet country lane built on her family’s farmland, where they poured over 3 decades of love and vision into their idyllic riverside plot. Gail worked for the Bank of Commerce from 1981 until the birth of her first son Travis in 1986, where she met her calling of being a stay-at-home mother and welcomed Beth, Becki, and Tory in 1988, 1991, and 1997. In 1999 she opened a daycare in their home, extending her warmth, love, and creative ways to have fun to many other children for several years until her youngest began school. She began to work for Canada Drugs, while also attending Winnipeg Technical College to become a pharmacy technician. Gail completed her schooling in 2006, graduating at the top of her class and starting her career with Rexall, a place she forged many lifelong friendships. She retired from Rexall in 2015, going on work for a time at Marion Pharmacy, and working up until her illness at Medicine Shoppe in the employ of a dear friend.

While Gail’s heart and soul was in her home with her family and in the roots of her many gardens, she had a great love of camping, going for long drives, and anything that sparkled. She discovered a love of flying, especially when going to visit her children in Vancouver and Saskatoon, and harboured a fondness for glitzy Las Vegas, where she enjoyed many trips with her husband and friends, and a special girls’ trip with her daughters in 2012. Her love of nature and the earth in all its forms inspired her travels, from the rocky forests of BC to the desert wonder of Sedona to the autumn landscape of New England. When she wasn’t dreaming of her next adventure, Gail enjoyed quiet nights in with a book and a bath, movie nights with her family, or entertaining and spoiling her grandsons. Her foray into social media brought many old and new connections into her life, making friends across the country and curating many recipes, bible verses, and bits of wisdom. She discovered a voracious passion for entering contests online, winning several and enjoying spending her spoils on her loved ones.

Gail was diagnosed with gallbladder cancer in the early spring of 2020, enduring multiple surgeries and two years of chemotherapy with courage, grace, and signature determination to do her best. A lifelong Christian, her relationship with God brought her much comfort and guidance during those difficult times and was a beacon to us all in her steadfast faith. Gail was continually humbled and stunned by the outpouring of prayers on her behalf, which her family believes is a testament to the lasting impact she has had on those around her. While in God’s hands, she was also looked after by a wonderful healthcare team, including Drs. Salem, Visser, and Goldenberg, and many palliative nurses and home care aides. It was by the grace of God and invaluable care by her doctors that Gail was able to spend the remaining weeks of her life being doted on by her husband and children in their home, surrounded by her earthly treasures, family photos, and music she loved.

Gail’s kind loving gentle spirit was a gift for all she met, and she will be dearly, deeply missed. Those who knew and loved her are welcome to join us for a celebration of life at Christ the King Church on July 5th, 2022, at 11:30AM.

In lieu of flowers, her family requests donations be made to Cancer Care Manitoba, to honour the efforts of the staff there and Gail’s wish that no more families get touched by cancer.