Adrienne Elizabeth Radford

Assured in fulfilling her life's purpose assigned by her loving God, our wife, mother, sister, dog grandma and friend left us in the early morning hours of November 20th with family holding her tightly and lovingly as she passed. Her perpetual dignity, grace and go-getter spirit had exceeded the boundaries of an increasingly weary body. She was at peace knowing that she was dearly loved by her family, friends, and animals and that she returned that love unconditionally, leaving her imprint on them for the days to come.

She will be with us in spirit always, and we will now wait our turn until we are all together again. Until then, Adrienne will be remembered by her family and friends, who will think of her lessons as they chart the maps forward in their own lives. She is remembered by her daughter Jennifer and her husband, Vince; her son, Myles and his wife, Allison; her sister Lucille and her husband, John; and most of all, her beloved husband and best friend, Duane, with whom she spent 53 years making cherished memories and keeping him in line. In heaven, she will love being reunited with her mother and father, passed friends and family, and her dogs, Cindy and Mr. Stubbs. She probably already said to Skylark, the always misbehaved family horse: "Hmm, I was quite sure my God was a forgiving God, but now I know for sure. Have you smartened up yet?”

Adrienne was smart as a whip, with a wicked sense of dry humor and sharp wit. She paired her natural talents with hard work, twice winning Alberta's Governor General's award for the highest overall high school marks. Armed with a Bachelor's Degree in Science and Education, she went on to a career spanning four decades of teaching biology to high school students, children's piano, and tutoring any of those who needed a little leg up.

Adrienne was an avid gardener and botanist. She could tell you the name of any wild plant or flower while enjoying the outdoors on one of the many family hikes. Hours spent in her yard yielded a bounty of flowers, vegetables and fruit. Remember, rose bushes take a lot of time and patience, but their reward is more than worth the effort in a nod to the importance of reciprocity and the give and take in life.

Adrienne was a vivacious social butterfly and a lover of occasions, events, and travel. Adrienne and Duane enjoyed an endless stream of date nights and travel, whether spending an evening eating Italian at Sorrentino's followed by enjoying the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra or sipping on pisco sours after hiking Machu Picchu in Peru.

Adrienne kept a large "Family and Friends" calendar in her desk drawer at home with handwritten entries in her perfect cursive. She never forgot a day special to anyone for any reason. Christmas was always larger than life, with decorations taking at least two full days each to put up and take down. How fitting for her that she spent her last days at Pilgrims Hospice on the famous Candy Cane Lane. Adrienne's thoughtfulness and generosity extended far beyond her family. For example, there was always a large jar of candies hidden for the custodians who cleaned her school room in the evenings. Adrienne was the definition of empathy, always in tune with others' feelings and ready to celebrate or comfort with a gesture of her care.

Adrienne was a great beauty who took much pride in her appearance and presentation to the world. As a young woman, she was a hair model, and when she first met Duane, her hair was lavender, then pink, then orange. For a conservative boy from Crowsnest Pass, she was quite the otherworldly phenomenon. She was a frequent patron of the Gilded Pear Beauty Salon and was always dressed to the nines with perfectly coordinated clothes, hair, make-up and jewelry. She combined her beauty with a shameless flirt of a personality and could make any grown man blush when showered with her affection and teasing.

Adrienne's family cannot say enough about the wonderful treatment she received from the doctors, nurses, staff, and volunteers at the Pilgrims Hospice. You were heaven-sent to help when it was needed most. Thank you for making her feel safer and happier, close to home. Your grace and compassion for Adrienne and all of us will never be forgotten.

In closing, if you were to open the kitchen cupboard door to reach for one of the neatly lined water glasses, you would find the following laminated clip: "What you leave behind is not what is engraved on stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others" by Pericles. Mission accomplished. You nailed it. Thank you for all of it.

A celebration of life will be held at St. Margaret's Anglican Church, 12603 Ellerslie Rd. SW, at 3:00 p.m. on December 9th, 2022 followed by a reception at Sorrentino's West, 6867 - 170 St NW. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the Pilgrims Hospice Society so they can carry on their purpose of providing dignity, comfort, cheer, and love for the dying. https://pilgrimshospice.com/get-involved/make-a-donation/