Eileen Margaret Jonasson died peacefully at Grace General Hospital on November 2, 2011, surrounded in body or in spirit by those who loved her deeply.
Eileen leaves to cherish her memory her children Charles (Shell), Debra Jonasson-Young (Scott Young), Stefan (Cindy), and daughter-in-law Liz; grandchildren Erin (Julian Carlyle-Gordge), Kristjan, Adam (Lisa Neyedly), Cara, Brynne (Colin Marnoch), Lindsey Jonasson-Young (Sinisa Dinevski), Brandis and Heather; great-grandson Aiden; dear friend Donna Megarry; and several cousins.
Eileen was predeceased by her loving husband Victor; her son Eric; her parents, Charles and Eva Dipple; her parents-in-law, Jonas and Asrun Thorstenson; her brother-in-law Leonard; and her sister-in-law Olive Pybus.
Eileen was born on October 7, 1922, in St. Boniface, the daughter of Charles Henry Dipple and Eva Marie Lamontagne. She spent her first three years on her parents’ farm at Sanford before the family moved to St. James, where Eileen spent the remainder of her life. She attended Britannia School and St. James Collegiate, graduating in 1939. She furthered her education at Angus Business College on a scholarship and then went to work for D. Ackland and Son, first as a stenographer and then as a cost accounting clerk, until she left the company in 1948 to raise her family. She was then a full-time homemaker, raising her children and helping to raise her grandchildren, never fully retiring from the work of caring for others.
Eileen married Victor Otto Jonasson on December 4, 1943—the day before he was sent east for overseas training in the Canadian Army. They enjoyed a deep and abiding love that, despite Vic’s premature death in 1978, sustained Eileen to the end of her days. When Vic returned from overseas, he and Eileen lived with her parents on Brooklyn Street until they purchased their first home on Marjorie Street in 1950. They moved to Riverbend Crescent in 1959 and raised their children in a neighbourhood that was more like a village than just another street. She remained in her home and recently marked her 89th birthday there.
Eileen was a wonderful storyteller and transmitter of family lore. She was the centre of her family and she relayed family news at lightning-fast speed. She was a superb cook and often hosted lavish feasts for her family and neighbours. Eileen loved to knit and crochet, supplying afghans and clothing to family and friends alike, her handiworks spanning the globe from Iceland to Afghanistan. She followed current events with great interest and held carefully considered opinions about world affairs. She attended the Unitarian churches in Arborg and Gimli and modeled its affirmation that “love is the spirit of this church and service its law.” Eileen possessed a sharp wit and rich sense of humour; she was a person of firm convictions, yet tolerant of others’ views; she was supremely self-confident but genuinely humble; and she was a steadfast friend who loved her family with the deepest devotion.
A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, November 8, at 3:00 p.m. in the Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue (across from Brookside Cemetery), with Rev. Millie Rochester and Rev. Stefan Jonasson officiating. The service will be webcast live for those who cannot attend in person (www.nbardal.mb.ca). For those who may wish to attend, there will also be a viewing at the Neil Bardal Funeral Centre on Monday, November 7, at 7:00 p.m. and a brief interment service at Brookside Cemetery on Tuesday, November 8, at 11:30 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Manitoba Heart and Stroke Foundation or a charity of your choice.
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