Our beloved Carmen has set off on her next adventure. Wife, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, colleague, Carmen blessed us all with her presence. Her generosity, kindness—her fun-loving-up-for-anything-ness—made her irresistible. Despite failing health, she never lost those qualities. Yes, Carmen was a force. And she powered through her illness in inimitable Carmen style. If you know the song “Here’s To Life” by Shirley Horn, you’ll remember the lines: “As long as I’m still in the game/I want to play/For laughs, for life, for love.” That was certainly Carmen’s approach this past year. She loved to plan lunches, dinners, drinks (shout-out to the Bamboo Lounge), road trips, afternoons at the beach, walks in the forest, even a helicopter tour. She was, in effect, surrounding herself with the people she loved. She showed us how it’s done. Her final triumph? A heroic exit. Off she went. Her terms. Her way. Our darling Carmen. Lionheart. “Here’s to life. Here’s to love. Here’s to you.”
Thanks again to family and friends for all the love and support. We are also grateful for the exceptional medical care Carmen received from BC Cancer and the Saanich Peninsula Hospital. Special thanks to Dr. Milivi Tiislar and dear friends Nikki Moyles and Robyn Smith.
Memorial contributions may be made to BC Cancer or Make-A-Wish Canada. In keeping with Carmen’s wishes, we will scatter her ashes in East Sooke Park on February 3rd (weather permitting). Join us in June to celebrate Carmen’s life. Details for both events to follow.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
-
Stacie Louttit
-
Barbara Clyde We are so distressed to hear of Carmen’s death. We have so many memories of our years in Calgary when our children were such great friends.
Our sympathy and love go to Gayle,Fred,Margo and Geg.
The Clyde family
Melbourne Australia
-
Cathy and Bob Martin To Gayle and Fred and extended family,
I’ve just read of Carmen’s passing.
Deepest condolences from Bob and me. An unimaginable loss.
Cathy Martin.
-
Mary Lou Deep and sincere condolences. It’s hard to believe such a wonderful person is gone. She was such a bright light and a positive force in the world.
-
Maureen Schoenewolf Carmen was a truly special friend and words cannot begin to describe how heartbroken I am.
I met Carmen on my first day of work at HSM in 2013 and we became fast friends. Her outgoing personality, beautiful smile, sense of humor and generous spirit were evident from the first minute. We shared a love of nature and the great outdoors and spent many hours walking the dogs in parks and on beaches all over the island. In no time she introduced me to a group of friends who all embraced me as part of the gang which I’ll forever be grateful for. Carmen had the biggest heart and was one in a million and the “Here’s to Life” song lyrics seem to be written just for her. Rest in peace my friend, until we meet again. My condolences to Demetri, Fred, Gayle, Gracie and family.
-
Deirdre McGarry So many words come to mind to describe Carmen – loveable, graceful, a force to be reckoned with, big hearted, adventurous and above all fun! We worked together at ScotiaMcLeod more than 20 years ago and became fast friends. I always loved talking to Carmen because she lived life deeply and had a gift of not only seeing, but also being able to express the truth. Even though our lives over the years went in different directions we remained connected. Thank you Carmen for your wisdom and your light. You will be missed!
Sending love and hugs to you Demetri and your family❤️
-
Dan & Marlene Doherty Life rarely gives us the gift of someone like Carmen. Her passion for life and living it to the fullest on her terms is a lesson for all. Her light and energy will be her lasting celebration of life that will guide us all.
Love Dan and Marlene
-
Fatima Demetri,
Our heartfelt condolences to you, the family and to those who knew her. To know Carmen was to love her. She had a special gift of seeing you for you and made you feel accepted and seen. She brought so many people together, who from knowing her formed life long friendships. I was one of the lucky ones to be able to call her a friend and will forever be grateful to have known her. I will miss you Carm, rest in peace my friend.
-
Sandi-Jo Ayers As our lives intersected over the decades…your laugh and love of life affected all those who surrounded you. May you find peace now and may your family be held up with prayers, love and the great memories you made with them. Hugs and love….Sandi-Jo
-
Jeff Wiedemann Carmen, I only got to enjoy but a brief part of your beautiful life, but it was the springtime of our years and we celebrated it with vigor. Always to be remembered fondly, rest easy.
-
Tracey Leflar Our life paths crossed briefly in the grand scheme of it all, but Carmen left me with warm memories that I am grateful for and blessed her soul crossed into my life if only for a fleeting moment.
-
Debbie Carmen was such a beautiful soul and I considered her more a sister than a friend. She was such a big part of my life. I am forever grateful for our friendship, conversations and adventures and all the years we had together. She taught me how to two-step, which we did together when our country song came on. One of her many qualities that I always admired, was how she made people feel. She accepted everyone and made them feel like they belonged and that they were special, which I witnessed time and again throughout our friendship. It was beautiful! She was a true friend and an inspiration in so many ways. Forever in my heart, until we meet again, my friend.
My condolences to Demitri, Fred, Gayle and family. My heart goes out to you.
-
Kim Schiavon Carmen you will always have a special place in my heart. You made everyone around you feel special. You would reach out countless times to include me. You never gave up on me even though I couldn’t join you all the time. I’d tell you how much that meant to me and you would say “ of course sista”.
Like so many other people you touched, I was blessed to have you apart of my life. Thank you beautiful lady.
I love you and will miss you.
-
Zoe Mallon My dearest friend Carmen Kama I don’t want to say Goodbye so I will say see you later. I wanted to be you when I was growing up. You were the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my entire life. I looked up to you. Thank you for always being there for my dad Ron. Helping us get through the hard times of him being a single parent, and me being the daughter of his single parentness. You taught me about being a girl, and explaining all that stuff to me. My life will never be the same without you here on Earth with all of us. But I understand and respect your decision. I am thankful that you’ve had the love of your husband, and all of your extended family and friends. With all of my love, I love you and will miss you always. love Zoe
-
Tanya Peacock Carmen was such a light in my life. She was always someone who I could count on for a laugh and a shoulder I could cry on if I needed one. I will miss “jogging” beside her on our walks, such a good workout for me to keep up with her long legs and effortless strides. She thrived in nature with all the beauty it held for her, and it was awesome to experience those kinds of things through her eyes. Whether it was amongst the trees, the ocean at our toes, hanging out in the bamboo lounge or at the Ascot hot tub back in the day, she just made great moments even better. I loved her sense of adventure and her never ending quests to find the next amazing place to find for all of us to hang out. The ultimate social butterfly, Carmen was able to knit together a large group of friends that through her “Carmen-ness” made our friendships stronger as well, which I will always be grateful for. Sending my love and condolences to you Demetri, Fred, Gayle, extended family, and all of Carmen’s many friends.
It has been an honor my beautiful friend, I love you and miss you. See you on the other side Sista xo
-
Ron Mallon I’m at a loss. I have lost two sisters ( and I feel as though Carmen was my sister) within a very short period of time. There will now be an empty spot in my heart where Carmen once resided. Our history started as roommates… but she ended up as a person who helped me with raising my daughter Zoe, a person who pulled me into her circles of friends, a person who could be honest with me and talk about any topic, a person whom I could vent with ( and visa versa), a person who with I shared many laughs, smiles, … and a few tears. Besides being the best social conveyor I’ve ever known… she had one of the largest hearts I’ve ever known. I admired her beauty, intelligence, and independence. Even though we have seen considerably less of each other over the past decade, there was no gap in our friendship. She was a sister from another mother. And I’ll miss her as such. I also wish to send thanx to Dimitri for looking after her and for letting her be who she was. My deepest condolences. The world will not be the same without her.
-
Tracy B On a cold dark snowy morning in Calgary a honda civic stopped and asked me if i wanted a ride. The driver of that car was Carmen. We became friends and from there the tour continued. Many happy memories. I admire her strength, grace and her beautiful smile.
Thinking of her family and many friends.
We will always miss her.
Tracy Bondarchuk (with much love from Otis)
-
Eileen and Tony Mettes That song so sums up Carmen. She was a classy lady and one that I always enjoyed talking to. She was bright, energetic and lovable and fun to be around. I’m sure everyone who happened in her path will be grateful for having known her.
-
Carolyn Norberg Demetri:
Carmen touched me in a way that is hard to describe.You guys on one end of the country and us on the other.Two islands (Newfoundland and Victoria) that are too far apart in times like this especially. I wish we had had more time to be in each other’s physical presence but distance and health stuggles got in the way of us all being together.
Carmen showered us recently with thoughtful birthday presents. Her twin nieces and I all share the same birthday. Package after package kept arriving and the girls were so excited. Anna and Lili could feel her love.
Through my own recent illness and hospitalization she was there big time. Downplaying her own suffering. Texting daily. She was always cheering me on. We were rooting for each other. She lived her life in a way that it’s impossible for me not to admire her.
Love goes out to all who loved her and to Demetri and her parents and siblings and friends. She made such an impact on me when I needed it most. I’m only one but I know she moved many. Here’s to Life feels like it was written by and for her.
Love Carolyn
-
Marianne MacDonald Carmen enriched my life in so many. I will keep her close to my heart always. Rest in peace sista.
-
Lloyd Johnstone (aka Johno) Sorry for your loss Demetri. She was loved by all who knew her. RIP girlfriend.
-
Bridget RIP dear Carmen. My deepest condolences to family and friends. She was a light here on earth and she will continue to shine from above, in Carmen style of course!
-
Karen Breuker A perfect description of my Dear long time friend! I feel Carmen wrote that song. Heartfelt condolences to Demetri and family! I miss her so much already but she will continue to inspire me until we meet again!
-
Mary Bruce My heart breaks for you Demetri and for Gayle , Fred and all Carmen’s family and the many friends who loved her. She was indeed a force and the most sparkling, energetic and beautiful soul I had the immense privilege of knowing. She indeed showed us all how to live with courage , strength and love.
-
Owen If I had only one word to describe my feelings, it would be grateful. For our friendship, her indomitable spirit, and her love. She is the common thread so many of use to connect to each other.
She is forever a part of me, and lives on through the ways she made me a better person.
See you on the patio sweetie, love you always. O.
-
Gregg Turner Much Support to Family and Friends. Carmen added to all who she met and all who knew her!
Love, Light and Joy to All, in All ways and Always.
Gregg
My heartfelt condolences go out to you Demetri, her family and her many friends. I am blessed to know Carmen’s friendship, love and her fun-loving attitude. Few in this world can match her energy, class and warmth. She continues to inspire me. So long dear friend. Until we meet again.