PAULA WANDAL

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PAULA WANDAL Peacefully, on Sunday, November 10, 2002, at Seven Oaks Hospital, Paula Wandal passed away at the age of 86. She was predeceased by her much loved and much missed brother Charlie; her oldest friend Betty Zeglinski and many other dear friends. Paula is survived by her devoted husband Oscar; her loving daughters, Barbara Messenger of Victoria, BC and Deborah Wandal of Toronto, ON; granddaughter Meggin Messenger-Ford of Victoria; great-grandchildren, Tallis Avery and Ellery Rose Messenger-Ford of Victoria; brothers, John Marlyn of the Canary Islands and Frank Marlyn of Edmonton. Paula endured decades of chronic pain, sometimes being confined to her home for many months on end. Despite these limitations, Paula was sustained by some deep beliefs and passion. She had an abiding sense of wonder towards the world of nature, a searching curiosity and appreciation of the well-written word and thoughtful insight, and a life-long dedication to her wide circle of friends. In these things and in her devotion to her husband Oscar and her daughters, she found the beauty and complexity that moved her beyond her illness and pain. Paula was a dedicated homemaker, working hard to create a beautiful home and healthy life for her family. Never interested in consuming the newest things, she loved to rise to the challenge of creatively adapting old things to new uses. She was justifiably proud of her home, full of sunlight and polished surfaces, good smells and great meals, efficient order blended with the pleasures of books and music and lots of love. Paula read constantly and widely, drawing moral strength and inspiration from others words, which she would often copy out and share with her daughters and friends. A principled woman, Paula wanted little for herself and much for the world, often speaking out in her day to day life against the social injustices she was quick to observe in her own surroundings. For more than 60 years, Paula remained close to childhood friends, even as she continued to reach out and make new dear friends well into her 70s, always caring about the small details as well as the big events of peoples lives. In her journals from the last year of her life she copied this quote, "Think where mans glory most begins and ends. And say my glory was, I had such friends." The happiest times of Paulas later life were the few years she and Oscar spent at their cottage at Victoria Beach, especially the winters when they watched birds flocking to their many homemade feeders, and tramped along silent snowy avenues. Even in the last year of her life she would stand for an hour at her dark window watching the eastern sky change into the colours of morning. We will all remember Paulas wonderful capacity to appreciate a pithy remark, a powerful painting, a well-made meal and a good laugh with friends. For these small things she was abundantly grateful. And we are grateful to have loved her and learned from her example. Peace is finally hers. At Paulas request cremation has taken place and no formal service will be held. CROPO FUNERAL CHAPEL 586-8044

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 23, 2002