Lillian Ilene (Peltier) (nee Scott) Parker

She is survived by her loving daughters Maureen Fleury (Coquitlam B.C.) and Sheila Parker (Windsor). The death of their beloved “Mama Lil” will also leave a deep and lasting void in the lives of her 3 grandsons: Brendan Jonathan and Shawn Fleury. Lillian is also survived by her sister in-law Helen Cooke,1st cousin James Oates (Essex) and her dear friend and 1st cousin Nancy Dickinson (Northumberland England), with whom their lengthy conversations each Sunday was one of the highlights of her week. She was also the cherished aunt to many nieces and nephews in Canada and the United Kingdom. Lillian is predeceased by her husbands: Flying Officer J. Orval Peltier (1944) AND Joseph Parker (2004).

Although she and Joe attended the same secondary school and knew each other casually, it was not until after WW 2 that they were reacquainted, got married and began to raise their family. She was born July 15, 1918 to William (d 1936) and Katherine (Ogle) Scott (d.1990) at Welton Farm in Northumberland England. Almost immediately following the WW1 armistice, Lillian and her mother sailed on one of the first vessels that permitted a limited number of civilians to accompany the Canadian soldiers returning from the battlefields of Europe. They arrived in Canada on Dec.1 1918 and travelled by train to Windsor to be reunited with her father, who due to his war wounds, had been repatriated earlier. The family quickly expanded with the birth of her beloved brother James (d.2005) and the immigration of her grandparents, Thomas and Jane Ogle, who settled in the family home. Her aunts and uncles, (James and Janet Caldwell and John and Margaret Oats and their family), who came to reside in the Windsor area, were also a major influence on her life. The strong bonds between the three families, the kindness, care and concerns shown between them, and the varying types of support that they gave each other, helped them weather the difficulties of the Great Depression and the turbulent years of WWII. It was this older generation that was instrumental in shaping Lillian’s character and, through their words and actions, they demonstrated the values that she came to cherish and espouse throughout her life. In turn, she has tried to pass them on to her own family in the same manner. With her graduation from high school and the death of her father a few months later, Lillian took her first job to help support the family. This precluded the chance of formally continuing her education. However, her inquisitive mind and thirst for knowledge led her to adopt a less formal way to further her education. She was an avid reader and this combined with an exceptional memory, allowed her to retain much of what she had read. Over the years, she developed a vast reservoir of knowledge, especially in the fields of history, geography, literature, politics, and music. The people who knew her were astounded at her ability to recall people, places and events at a local, national, and international level. She retained this capacity until her death.

Lillian’s outgoing personality, zest for life, sense of humour and wit garnered her many friends over the years; however it was her qualities of loyalty, trustworthiness, concern, thoughtfulness and generosity that allowed her to maintain and their long last friendships. From those that she met at school and throughout her long years of employment to those that she formed more recently with the ladies of her aqua fitness classes, Lillian savoured every one of these friendships. She will be sorely missed by her friends that remain. On their retirement she and Joe loved being around people, particularly spending time with family and friends. They also began to travel more extensively to places around the world. Lillian retained her love for the arts. She was a season ticket holder for the Windsor Symphony, regularly attended performances by the Windsor Light Opera and enjoyed the ballet when the visiting troupes came to Windsor. Determined to remain active and to stay in shape, she joined aqua fitness classes and continued her thrice weekly regiment until the age of 98.

Lillian and her brother Jim had an extremely close relationship throughout their lives. Their love, kindness and protective instincts towards each other remained intact, even though he spent most of his working career in western Canada. They remained connected by letter, phone and yearly visits. Upon his retirement and return to Windsor they were able to spend a great deal of time together, enjoying each other’s company, visiting family and mutual friends, and reminiscing about the people and events that occurred over the course of their lives.

The family wishes to thank Dr. P. Smith for the quality of care that he provided to Lillian over the years and for his continued interest in her wellbeing in spite of her inability to visit his office. A deep sense of gratitude must also be extended to Dr. S. Bergeron, Dr. P. Valcke and to the staff of the Hospice of Windsor for making Lillian’s desire to die peacefully at home become a reality. A very special thank you is reserved for Claudette St. Louis, her primary palliative care nurse from St. Elizabeth, for her nursing expertise, unparalleled support and the friendship that she provided to Lillian, during this difficult period of her life. If you desire, donations to the Hospice of Windsor or Street Help would be appreciated by the family.

Funeral services will be held privately. **Due to the current restrictions put in place by the Ministry of Health there is a maximum number of guests allowed in the funeral home at one time. Please call the funeral home between 9 am and 4 pm to reserve a spot for the visitation period. No admittance will be permitted without a reservation.**

A public celebration of Lillian’s life will be held at a future date.