Audrey Jean Wright

Our beloved Mum went home to her Lord and Saviour the evening of August 25, 2023 at the Marjorie Willoughby Snowden Memorial Hospice Home in Kamloops where she spent her last week of life in constant care by her family and the incredibly skilled and caring team at the hospice. We are also grateful for the care provided by Ponderosa Lodge in the few weeks prior.

Audrey is survived by her children - Sue Wright, Wendi (Jim) Fitger, Ken (Cheryl) Wright and Patti (Marvin) Miller; grandchildren - Cris (Jason) Stobbe, Calah Wright (Pierre Jr. Charette), Sabrina Magnus, Sam and Susanna Basden; great-grandchildren - Ethan Stump, Jakob and David Stobbe, Autumn and Erik Wright; nephew - Peter Stevens, granddaughter-in-law Sarah Wright, sister-in-law - Jean Wright and nieces Shelley and Catherine Wright and their families.

Predeceased by her husband of 70 years - Douglas Wright; parents - Sydney and Jean Stevens; brother, Jim Stevens, sister-in-law, Marion; brother-in-law David W. Wright and his son, Dave Wright and her grandson, Travis D. Wright.

Mum was born in Toronto, December 12, 1929, but grew up in Ottawa where she graduated from Glebe Collegiate in 1949 and Willis Business College in 1950. She was a member of the Ottawa Ski Club from the age of 9, thanks to her big brother, and along with her “Gang of 6” spent weekends in cabins while exploring every trail and hill around, even at night with flashlights strapped to their ski caps! Mum had many a story to tell about her Gang - they remained closest friends for the rest of their lives. She was the ‘last one standing’.

After graduation, Mum worked as a legal secretary at National Research Council. On New Year’s Eve, 1951, she was knocked off her feet - literally - by Doug Wright while skiing at Beamish Hill. (This is the family’s favourite story.) Six months later, they were married!

Then began many years of changes and children, and challenges along the way - three years in Fort Churchill, Manitoba, with Defence Research Northern Laboratory, the birth of their first child, Susan, and a return to Ottawa where Dad worked for Atomic Energy of Canada until his retirement in 1984. Three more children came along in Ottawa. Once the children were in school, Mum became a real estate agent and then owned an agency, “Sitters Unlimited” for 4 years, and that led to different legal secretarial positions over the years, including Atomic Energy. In 1981, she helped establish the Administration office at Aberdeen Mall in Kamloops.

When they retired in 1984 to Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, they volunteered for Meals on Wheels and became members of the Nanaimo Golf Club where they made so many good friends. Mum and Dad loved to travel and cruises became a favourite way to check out very interesting parts of the world.

It was in Nanaimo that Mum gave her life to Jesus and followed him zealously for the rest of her life. She became an avid student of the Bible, loved to be in her church community and share her faith.

In June 2014, Mum and Dad moved to Kamloops, BC to be closer to family. They made new friends at Berwick on the Park Retirement Community. Mum even took up painting which kept her learning and providing all of us with lovely works of art to remember her by. Losing Dad last November was very hard for her so her photo memories, painting, family and friends became even more dear than ever.

The Bible verse she wanted to share with you is 1 Corinthians 2:9, “But as it is written: Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

We cherish and miss her dearly and will be celebrating her life informally as a family.

In lieu of flowers, Mum’s desire was that any donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse Christmas Boxes.