Mrs. Yvonne Geraldine Watson Hudson

With great sadness, we announce that our beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Yvonne Hudson, of Winnipeg, passed away suddenly on November 12, 2011. Yvonne is survived by her husband of 61 years, Bill; her daughter and son-in-law Kathy and Brian Tod, their children Robin, Michael and Patrick Tod; her son and daughter-in-law Bob and Laurel Hudson, their children Kristen, Megan and Jonathan Hudson; and her longtime devoted care giver Susan Thiessen. Yvonne was born in Edmonton on March 20, 1928, and was the only child of Allan Harvey and Ina Blanche (nee Ball) Watson. During her childhood and adolescence, her father's banking career took Yvonne and her parents to many cities Edmonton, Medicine Hat, Moose Jaw, and Windsor; before settling in Winnipeg. Yvonne and Bill met when they were students in the Faculty of Commerce at the University of Manitoba. They were married on June 3, 1950. Early in their marriage Yvonne and Bill faced an enormous challenge after she contracted polio in 1953, and was left with major physical disabilities. Together, Yvonne and Bill became an incredible team, and they met this challenge with courage, tenacity, intelligence, and humour. Yvonne was determined to not be held back by her disability, and to minimize its impact on her and her family's day-to-day lives. She had a vibrant sense of adventure; in particular, Yvonne and Bill travelled extensively beach vacations at Cotton Lake, Minnesota; family vacations by car and air to much of Canada and the USA; winter holidays on Kauai, Hawaii, and in later years, Scottsdale. One memorable trip to Great Britain involved taking the QE2 across the Atlantic, and flying on the Concorde the other way. For their 60th Anniversary, Yvonne and Bill retraced the path of their honeymoon to the Rocky Mountains, and celebrated the occasion at Lake Louise with their children, grandchildren, and Susan. Although Yvonne's passing is a tremendous loss for us, we a grateful for the way she taught us to live life to the fullest, with grace, inspiration, courage, and love of family. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating in Yvonne's memory to the Manitoba Heart and Stroke Foundation, or to a charity of your choice. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2011 at the Thomson In The Park Funeral Home, 1291 McGillivray Boulevard, Winnipeg. A private family interment ceremony will follow.