Colette Carmel (Williamson) Wilkins

Carmel passed away peacefully in her sleep on December 6, 2022 at Southeast PCH in Winnipeg. She will be forever remembered by son John Wilkins (Ayodele) and daughter Jackie Plantje (Bill); grandchildren Brea Wilkins, Stacia Riggs (Jon), Kyla Truelove (Mike), Dana Plantje (Audrey), Scott Plantje (Gen)); great grandchildren Leif, Sloan, Mya, Madison, Jacob, Carson, Parker, Gus; brother David Williamson (Beryl) and other family in England.

Mum was born in Cleveleys, England in 1930 and spent her formative years in and around Blackpool. She joined the Wrens after World War II and was stationed in Portsmouth where she met Ken. They married in 1950 and were together for 52 years until his death in 2002. Looking for a better life and more opportunities for their young family they emigrated to Canada in 1954.

Once you met Mum you didn’t forget her! She was a beautiful woman with sparkling blue eyes and a welcoming smile. Her family and friends were very important to her. Mum was known for her gourmet dinner parties and large gathering of friends on Boxing Day when she would spend days beforehand preparing the food. Mum and Dad loved to travel taking frequent road trips across Canada and the US as well as trips to Europe and the Caribbean. Mum was a gifted crafts maker, whether knitting, stitchery, cake decorating, sewing, or quilting. She gave back to the community serving on the provincial and national executives of the IODE and volunteering at Cancer Care Manitoba and on the Volunteer Committee of the ballet. Her grandchildren referred to her affectionately as “the energizer bunny”.

Special thanks to all the staff on unit 4 at Southeast PCH, especially Jimmy and John, for their kindness and care of Mum.

A family gathering to celebrate Mum’s life will be held sometime next spring or summer.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CancerCare Manitoba Foundation, 1160-675 McDermot Avenue, Winnipeg R3E 0V9.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.greenacresfuneralhome.com for the Wilkins family.