born McILWAIN

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McILWAIN: born May 8, 1923 in Liverpool, England; died August 7, 2013 at the Riverdale Personal Care Home in Rivers, Manitoba. Lilian was the youngest of seven children and married Kenneth in 1946, having three children before emigrating to Winnipeg in 1955. Lil worked at Neighbourhood Services Centre, first as a nursery school teacher and later as a counsellor for families and community groups, always working towards social justice for those less fortunate than herself. In the mid 70s Lil was hired by the provincial government’s Women’s Bureau as a researcher-counsellor and was active in lobbying for better rights for women at the local and national level. Family was very important to Lilian, and she and Ken supported their children in various activities, always striving to give them the opportunities that they, themselves, were denied. Summer holidays were happy family times, and many hours were spent swimming at the Oasis or camping at Clear Lake and Rushing River. In the late 70s, Lil and Ken bought a cottage just north of Winnipeg, and those happy times continued over the next 20 years, only now it was grandchildren who became the focus. Lil and Ken moved to Kenton, Manitoba in 1996 to be closer to their daughter. Ken’s health was already in decline, and Lil supported and cared for him until he moved to Birch Lodge in Hamiota. During the four years he was there, Lil visited without fail, often driving on icy winter roads so that he would not be disappointed. During this time, Lil was also able to take several vacations with sons Alan and Ray. She loved travelling the world and was proud to wear her “Globe-Trotting Granny” T-shirt whenever she could. After Ken’s death, Lil moved into a “granny suite” on Irene and Brian’s farm. She loved being able to go for walks up the lane with dog Theo, and made this a daily routine all year round. A highlight during her years on the farm was a family reunion in 2009. She had decided that it would be of no use to her for everyone to get together after she died, and wanted to visit with everyone while she still was able to enjoy it. Lil lived in the Riverdale Personal Care Home for 16 months and often remarked on how wonderful the staff were. She never felt that she was 90 years old and was very appreciative whenever she received assistance herself, thinking that staff should be taking care of the “old” people in the home. Lil never lost her sense of humour, her love of a good joke, or her sense of family. Her fighting spirit kept her going right to the end and she will be missed by children Alan (Donna), Ray (Moira), and Irene (Brian Todd) and their families, including 11 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. A “come-and-go” casual memorial will be held at the Harding Community Centre in Harding, MB on Sept. 28 from 2:30 - 4:00. Please join us in celebrating Lil’s life as we share memories and laughter together.

As published in Brandon Sun on Sep 21, 2013