Mary Helen Alice Power

With grieving hearts we announce the passing of our beloved mother and grandmother, Mary Helen Alice Power (nee Beauchemin).  Mom passed peacefully with family by her side on March 24^th, 2020.  Predeceased by her father Benjamin and mother Irene, brothers Bill, Louis and Benny and sisters Rita, Yvonne and Lorette.  Predeceased by her devoted husband Chesley who will be so happy to dance with her again in heaven. Left to mourn are her loving children, Ben, Jennifer (Bill), Rosanne (Dave), Fred, Angela (Brad) and Carolyn (Max) and her grandchildren Kristopher (Alex), Marissa (Dave), Darroch, Michaela (Cyrus), Marcus, Joshua, Wesley and Dylan.  She also leaves behind her brothers Bert (Penny) and Pat Beauchemin, devoted nieces Claudette (Don) Adamek and Aline (Stan) Russell, sisters in law Sharon (John) Payne and Maureen (Jack) Tucker and many other nieces and nephews.

Mom was born on a very cold day on January 17, 1936 in Ericksdale, Manitoba and spent her early years in Manitoba.  She was raised on a farm and had many tales to tell of riding, and doing the many chores of a working farm including milking cows, shooting ducks for dinner and haying.  She came from an illustrious Metis family in Manitoba and her great Grandfather and two great uncles were involved in the Riel Rebellion (1869) and the Riel Resistance (1885) a matter of great family pride. She was a hard worker from her earliest days and could always tell us that she walked three miles in the snow to school, because she did.  She trained to become a nurse and was a compassionate and loving caregiver.  When she finished her training, she travelled west to British Columbia taking nursing jobs along the way.  She ended up in Tofino, where she met Chesley who was in the RCMP at the time.  They married in 1959 and had six children and eight grandchildren over 55 years of marriage.  She ended her career at Oak Bay Lodge where she worked for over ten years.  She came back to Oak Bay Lodge as a resident for the last year.

Mom was one of those people who could do anything, fix a bike, bake an incredible pie or roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, dress as the model she was in her youth or simply tell a joke as one of the quickest witted persons around. She was a devoted mother who put her family first, but in her sixties she took up golfing and became “Hole in one Helen” for her ability to one shot at her local par 3 Henderson Golf Course.  This earned her an appearance on the front page of the Times Colonist and on the CBC radio show “As it happens”.  She was perhaps the world’s greatest Elvis fan and saw many Elvis tribute artists and visited Graceland.

Mom bore her final illness with grace and her characteristic sense of humility and humour.  She was very grateful for the loving caregivers at the Oak Bay Lodge (and previously Glenwarren Lodge), where she was provided such compassionate care.  We are saddened to lose our family Matriarch but she was a person of such strong faith we know she is singing and jigging with the angels.

A private Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, March 27th, 2020 with interment to follow at Hatley Memorial Gardens; Father Frank Franz officiating.  Flowers gratefully declined but if desired donations can be made to Arts & Alzheimers or to the Alzheimer Association of British Columbia.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com