Irene Vanstone
August 13, 1924 - November 10, 2015
IRENE MARY VANSTONE
(n?e SCHMALTZ)
On Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at the Riverview Health Centre, our much loved mother, grandmother, sister and aunt passed away.
Irene is survived by her children, Valerie, Dianne, Ellen, Jay (Kaneena), Michael (Casey) and Lindsay; grandchildren, Ruth, Eliza, Jakab, Clare, Leo, Rena, Alec and Miles. Her brothers, Stanley, Norman, Leonard (Anne) and Gregory (Delores), sister-in-law Eilleen, brother-in-law Martin Mayer, and all her nieces and nephews out West remember Irene as a loving sister and aunt who was always the life of the party. She was predeceased by her husband, George Lewis Douglas Vanstone; brother Clarence and sister Lima.
On August 13, 1924, Irene was born, in Beiseker, Alberta. She was one of seven children who worked hard to help make the family farm a success, but the farming life was not for her. After high school, she went to Calgary to train as an R.N. with the Grey Nuns at Holy Cross Hospital, and later joined Trans Canada Air Lines as a stewardess. While based in Winnipeg, Irene met Doug and married him in 1951. Though her memory failed on many fronts in the twelve years since his death, when Irene did remember her husband, it was with affection: ?He was a real gentleman.? She returned to nursing off and on over the years as she raised six children, loving both the job and the dear friends she made in the medical community. At one point she worked with geriatric patients at Riverview Health Centre in its previous incarnation as the Municipal Hospitals. But Irene?s favourite job by far was taking care of newborn babies in the nursery at Misericordia Hospital. All her grandchildren (and their grateful parents) benefitted hugely from her expertise and utter devotion to infant care.
According to Irene?s wishes, a private service will be held in Wojcik?s Funeral Chapel, 2157 Portage Avenue.
The family thanks the staff at Riverview Health Centre CD1 for their kind and compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Villa Rosa. villarosa.mb.ca
Wojcik?s Funeral Chapel, 2157 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB in care of arrangements 204.897.4665. For those who wish to sign Wojcik?s online Guest Book please visit our website at www.wojciksfuneralchapel.com