RIETTA BOGDEN (RAYNOR)

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RIETTA BOGDEN (nee RAYNOR) Shortly after her 80th birthday, Rietta Bogden (nee Raynor) passed away peacefully in the company of her family on October 19, 2017 in Calgary, Alberta. Rietta will be profoundly missed by her daughter Jennifer Sam and her husband Dr. David Sam; her son J-P Bogden and his wife Lindsay Bogden, and her grandchildren, Owen, Avery, Emmett and Isadora Sam. Rietta was born in Portage La Prairie, MB, and grew up in Winnipeg, MB alongside her parents, Ernest and Orpha Raynor and her siblings, Ruth, Reenie and Ron, all of whom predeceased her. Rietta was married to the now-passed Fred Bogden until 1986. After graduating from Gordon Bell High School, Rietta lived across Canada, including Prince George, BC, Mississauga, ON, Bedford, NS, Burlington, ON, Nanaimo, BC and Calgary, AB, all the while remaining a proud Winnipegger and ardent Blue Bomber supporter. Rietta was what used to be called a pistol: she was tall, beautiful and vibrant, and was an outspoken woman with an arch wit in an era when that wasn't so common. She could throw a perfect spiral football, enjoyed a beer from time to time and was at ease with people from all social stations. She navigated her life's ups and downs - and there were a few downs - with humour, common sense and a healthy dose of prairie grit. A relentless organizer and tidier, a selfless and loving family member and friend, an "Auntie Boots" to one well-loved grandniece, and in all things a fighter until the end, Rietta spent her last years enjoying the company of her family and many friends and opining on matters of the day (manners and grooming in decline; Canadian tennis and political values on the rise; cats and Hillary, not dogs and Trump; and the enduring sex appeal of Tom Selleck). She also casually but lethally dispensed with any crossword puzzle that came across her lap - including the New York Times, always done in ink. Rietta's family would like to thank everyone from the Calgary Palliative Home Care Program, Rockyview General Hospital (Unit 73) and Chinook Hospice for their care and compassion over her last months, including her favourite nurse Chris who always made her laugh. Any tributes may be made directly to the Alberta Cancer Foundation. A celebration of Rietta's life will be held at a later date.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 28, 2017