McKay, Eva

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McKAY: Eva McKay (Eve) nee: Lamb. On September 20, 2020, Eve passed away at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, at the age of 86 years, with family by her side. Eve was born at home on the family farm in the RM of Strathclair to Mike and Ann Lamb on September 2, 1934. She was one of five children, the eldest daughter, second eldest child. She left home at the age of 14 with her cousin to start her working life, first at Moon's Cafe in Oak River then at the Golden Gate Cafe after moving to Brandon with her sister Nellie. There, she earned the nickname "PeeWee". She then met Charlie and they married on June 1, 1957, moved into their home on McDonald Avenue in Brandon where they raised their family, a daughter, Debbie and son, Greg. Eve stayed at home with the kids in their early years, sometimes working banquets at the North Hill Motel then working banquets at Brandon University. She eventually started a full-time position in the cafeteria at BU and continued working there until her retirement in 1995. Eve loved the students and she tried to make each one feel special knowing how far from home a lot of them were and the kids loved her in return. She was always taking care of others, never asking for anything in return and putting others needs ahead of her own. She was a feisty little spitfire and was always making people laugh and feel at ease. If you entered her house you didn't leave without having been fed anything and everything she had on hand whether you wanted it or not! Her love of gardening showed in her beautiful yard, huge vegetable garden and abundant flowers. She especially loved roses. She would often go downtown to McKenzie Seeds after hours and put Debbie on watch while she hung over the dumpster on the back lane to rescue the discarded plants and nurture them back to life. She brought life to every occasion or gathering she was at and she could be hilariously funny and not know it, that was just her nature. After your first time meeting her, you felt like you'd known her your entire life. Eve had a very special relationship with her granddaughters and never once turned down an opportunity to spend time with them, teaching them painting, crafts, and cooking and baking and of course letting them raid her garden. She was available 24/7 for them and they loved her immeasurably. Eve is predeceased by her parents, Mike and Ann Lamb, brother Dick Lamb, sister Nellie Kosior and Eve's husband of 51 years, Charlie McKay. She will be lovingly remembered by her daughter Debbie McKay, son Greg (Karen) McKay, granddaughters Lindsay (Dan) Gwozdz, Reagan McKay (Rory Stewart), Haley McKay and great granddaughter Charlie Stewart as well as sisters Vergie (Stan) Kukurudz and Marlene (Bill) Gerelus and numerous nieces and nephews. A private service was held at Memories Chapel on September 25, 2020 with interment at the Brandon Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of one's choice or plant a rose in your garden for Eve.

You are gone but thank you
for all these soft,
sweet things you have
left behind
in our homes
in our minds
in our hearts
Rest Peacefully sweet Nan

As published in Brandon Sun on Oct 10, 2020