Rhonda Marie Brade

Always a fierce and indefatigable fighter, Rhonda Brade fought a battle with cancer that seemed both too long and too short. She passed away peacefully at home on March 11 with her daughters holding her hand and kissing her cheek.

Rhonda, nee Peel, lived in Europe and among the mountains and rushing rivers of beautiful British Columbia but made Anola, Manitoba, her home. With her sardonically witty husband Clarence James, she raised her daughters Erica and Morgan, along with many cats and wonderdogs. She made a legendary chicken stew.

She was a hard worker who chopped a cord of wood while in labour with her youngest child—and practical too, lest the wood stove in the house run out of firewood while she was gone.

After a career in home care that included long nights as a cherished palliative companion, Rhonda retired to bookkeep for an engineer and serve the community at the Dugald Store, where she made many, many friends. You knew Rhonda if you knew a positive, bright, funny lady who helped everyone she met. She had a keen sense of what people needed without ever being asked, and she went ahead and did it—also without being asked.

Rhonda leaves on earth her gaggle of five beautiful and brilliant granddaughters: Amelia, Isabella, Sagan, Sacha, and Gianna. Each of them knew her as a loving, clever, kind grandma, who never failed to bring the magic and to surprise. They will always love her.

And the dads of those girls! Sons-in-law Dave and Kevin were like Rhonda’s own, and she welcomed them into the family. A special meal of mashed potatoes and gravy made Rhonda’s last days especially delicious.

Before she travelled to the next life, Rhonda wondered how the stars were made. She decided that it was a miracle.

The miracle for our family was the time we had with such a loving, kind, caring mom. We miss you and we will always love you, our beautiful mommy. You are our sunshine. Xo.