Ms. Heather Doris Craig

Heather was very happy to be surrounded by loving family members and friends (and pet dogs and kittens) during the weeks and days leading to her passing.

Heather is survived by Nancy (Mark) Williams, Barb Follett, Robert (Carol) Craig and Colin (Leah) Craig and her nieces and nephews, Kevin, Emily (Brent) and Madeline Williams, Ben (Roseel) Follett, Logan, Katelyn, Jack and Lily Craig and her aunt and uncle, Russell and Helen Lakusta, as well as many cousins on both the Craig and Lakusta sides. She is survived by her two black cats, Flotsam and Jetsam, whom she called her kittens.

Heather has gone to join her much-loved parents, Robert and Mary Craig, and her uncle, Vic Lakusta.

Heather was born in Calgary, Alberta on June 7, 1970 and grew up there until her move to attend university. Heather graduated from Dalhousie University with a degree in law in 1995. She was called to the Bar in 1996 and enjoyed a long career as a litigator at Boughton Law Corporation. Many clients became her lifelong friends. Heather had a brilliant mind. She became a shareholder of Boughton Law Corporation on January 1, 2002 at a young age and continued in this role for many years. She sat on many committees at Boughton and was passionate about mentoring students and young lawyers. She was easily the favourite of several of her colleagues amongst the firm. She was an excellent confidante and friend to many and was known to come up with quick, creative solutions to life’s challenges.

Heather pursued and achieved her dream of living and working in Vancouver, but she remained a Calgary girl at heart.

Heather was an accomplished ballet dancer during her teenage years. She spent her summers dancing with the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. She continued her passion in dance by teaching ballet at the Boys and Girls Club in BC in her early years of legal practice. With a referral from her colleague, the late William (Bill) Ireland, QC, she was invited to join the board of directors of the Dance Foundation, the owner of the Scotiabank Dance Centre. She quickly rose to become Board Chair, and with her focused and determined leadership skills, and fellow board colleagues, helped steer the Dance Centre forward through the challenging transitions of the early years following the building's completion, including the outstanding debt related to its construction.

Heather loved travelling to Yorkshire and Italy. She truly enjoyed entertaining and is known for her love for Italian cuisine. She even took a cooking class in Tuscany, Italy with celebrated chef, Umberto Menghi. Whilst visiting Yorkshire, Heather often combined the best of both by accompanying her friend, Nina, on excursions to find delicious Italian edibles, served up as a medley in feast-quantities for supper and consumed with relish by the entire household. If sustenance was required during the day, this was found in Yorkshire's many fine pubs - in particular, Heather was happy to judge the merits of a wide range of meat pies. Pork rinds too were often sampled. Yorkshire's big skies and dramatic landscapes, were enjoyed very much by Heather, in the car and also, if the impulse took her and she was prepared to indulge her friend, Nina, on foot. Also, from Yorkshire, Heather was drawn to many historic places including Skipton, Bolton and Clitheroe castles, Bolton Abbey plus the treasures at its associated Chatsworth in Derbyshire (especially those Italian marbles).

Heather was extremely fashionable and chic. The world was her runway and she always carried herself with grace and elegance. She was known for her spur-of-the-moment shopping excursions and would always be accompanied by a friend, who shares her passion. At a meet and greet at Holt Renfrew, famous French designer, Christian Louboutin, told Heather that she was the exactly the type of women his shoes were intended for. What a compliment!

Heather was absolutely fanatical about men’s tennis and would watch Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. She would set her alarm to watch it live at ridiculous times and would cajole her siblings (and many others!) into watching with her. She would spend hours on the phone discussing the players, while rooting for her faves, Nadal, Federer and definitely NOT cheering for Djokovich, whom Heather called “the git”. She went to some of these tournaments in her travels and loved every minute of being there.

In past years, when she would visit her sister, Nancy, in Alberta, Heather would make gourmet meals, nap, read and watch tennis. She loved spoiling her nieces and nephews, watching disaster movies like Dante’s Peak and Jaws, and they must have watched “The Bodyguard” a million times. She was known to her nieces and nephews as the “Aunt of Vices.”

Heather had a passion for pickles, salted licorice, sushi, beef jerky, Agatha Christie, Prada, flowers, “real” Yorkshire tea, her various Beamers and her cats, who visited her at the hospital (expertly orchestrated by Nina and her longtime catsitter, Emma).

Heather developed strong friendships and her family is thankful for the relationships she had with Joyce, Nina, Saba, Annamarie, Anndraya and many others.

The Craig family wishes to thank the doctors and nurses at St. Paul’s Hospital, especially Dr. Taqui, Dr. Dau, Dr. Williscroft and her family doctor, Dr. B.K. Lim. The Craig family also wishes to thank Heather’s caregivers, Gina and Cleofe, for taking good care of Heather in the past few months.

In memory of Heather, we ask that you cook and enjoy a gourmet meal, go for a run along the seawall or curl up with a cat and a good book. Agatha Christie would be an excellent choice.

A wake (visitation and reception) will be held at Forest Lawn Funeral Home on Monday, May 1, 2023 from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Flowers are welcome. Donations in Heather’s name may also be made to the SPCA or the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre.

“Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul” from Invictus by William Ernest Henley.