It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our mother, Arlene May Ryder, age 81, on Thursday, July 27, 2023 at Hogarth Riverview Manor with her family by her side.
Arlene was born to Donald and Elsie Grant on April 23, 1942 in Calgary, Alberta. As a young girl she was involved with Girl Guides and also volunteered at the local hospital. In 1963 she received her Bachelor of Science in Zoology at the university of Alberta. In 1970 our family moved to Thunder Bay. A few years later she started her career at Confederation College at the Nursing Library working her way to the curriculum design department. She was also involved with her local union OPSEU working on the negotiating committee and later becoming the President for her local union office. After retirement she spent many years volunteering with Hospice NorthWest to give peace to people in their end of life journey. Mom, and her good friend Margie, had many adventures starting with the legendary Wolf River rafting trip, Italy trip, and weekends camping at Sibley. She enjoyed reading books to her grandchildren and was an avid reader all her life. Knitting was a passion for mom. It was always great to be the one to get the next sweater. Mom was also an amazing cook and Sunday roast beef with all the trimmings was her speciality. There was always a fight for the last Yorkshire pudding! Mom was a devoted mother and grandma. Birthdays meant dinner out and then a trip to the mall for a new school outfit. Mom loved her huskies and later in life rescued her Molly girl. She religiously walked her twice a day no matter what the weather was like. Molly was the perfect companion for mom.
Mom will be deeply missed by her daughters: Christine (Ed), Karen and Kathy (Frank) Galati; grandchildren: Jennifer, Sarah (Ken) Johnny, Claire and Benjamin; her cousin David Jones; long-time friends Margie Hawton, Nikki Burns, and Enrico Pucci. She was predeceased by her parents Donald and Elsie Grant.
Thank you to the staff at the Walford for the care you gave mom, as well as the TBRHSC 3B, TCU, and Hogarth Bluebell floor staff.
Cremation has taken place. A Come and Go for Arlene will take place from 1:00 – 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 20, 2023 in the Harbourview Funeral Centre Reception Hall.
As expressions of sympathy, donations in Arlene’s memory may be made to Paws for love or The Canadian Cancer Society.
