JEAN ELLEN ROLFE

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JEAN ELLEN ROLFE December 15, 1937 - April 27, 2018 It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Jean Rolfe: mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. She was predeceased by her husband Albert Rolfe on April 27, 2003 - 15 years to the day. Mom will be lovingly remembered by her four children: Susan Rauwerda (Ron), Jim Rolfe (Donna), Mari-jane Norberg (Gerry) and Cindy Phaneuf (Sheldon). She is also survived by six grandchildren: Kristi, Terri, Joshua, Dana, Marissa and Brodie; five great-grandchildren: Oliver, Dax, Lyle, Matilda and Miller. She is also survived by her sister Phyllis Downie, niece Kerry Cressall, nephew Kelly Hall, and several cousins. Mom was born and raised in the west end of Winnipeg by her parents James and Emily Downie. She worked at Standard Aero Engine Limited in the mid-1950s and met her future husband Albert while working there. Mom and Dad were married on September 14, 1957 and she became a stay at home mom. The family moved to Montreal in 1964 when Air Canada transferred Dad to the new maintenance facility at Dorval. Mom helped raise the family in Pierrefonds for many years. We spent our summers at Camp Four Winds which was the Air Canada Recreation Association family campground. At the camp she became a second mom to many children. She was known as being tough but fair and was always up to a pancake batter fight. Once her children were finished high school Mom worked for Metropolitan Stores for a few years. She left the work force to help care for Albert when he became ill. Mom was very active in raising funds for the Shrine Hospital for Children. She belonged to the Karnak Ladies Auxiliary and The Daughters of The Nile as well as The Eastern Star. She spent 46 years in Montreal before coming home to Winnipeg in 2010. After returning to Winnipeg she reconnected with her good friend of over 50 years, Evelyn Boak. It was with Evelyn that Mom took her last holiday trip to Hawaii, a place that she had always wanted to visit. They had a wonderful time. It was shortly after that trip that Mom became ill and eventually had to move to River Park Gardens Personal Care Home. Evelyn came to visit on a weekly basis usually with fresh baked goods and always a cup of coffee for Mom. We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to Evelyn for being there for Mom until the very end. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mom's nephew Robert Kelly Hall and his wife Susan for spending many hours with Mom at the home watching old movies and helping to feed her when she was no longer able to do so. She loved you both very much. A special thanks to all the nurses and nurses aides who attended to Mom with such kind and gentle hands. To the recreation staff thank you for helping to make Mom feel included and giving her some sense of normalcy. Thank you to all the kitchen, cleaning and office staff, as well as the many volunteers. You are all very special people and the care you give to the residents is beyond wonderful. A memorial service to celebrate Mom's life will be held on Thursday, May 24, 2018 from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn South, 1330 Pembina Highway, Winnipeg. Please join us for us for refreshments and to share some memories. A private interment will be held. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to: The Shriners Hospital for Children c/o The Karnak Shriners, 3350 Sources Blvd., DDO, Montreal, QC H9B 1Z9; or to River Park Gardens Personal Care Home, 735 St. Anne's Rd., Winnipeg, MB R2N 0C5.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on May 12, 2018