ARLA GREEN

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ARLA GREEN

Born: June 5, 1944 - Passed Away: July 2, 2023

It is with deep sadness that I (Ken Green) announce the passing of my wife, Arla Green on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at Concordia Hospital at the age of 79 years. She passed very peacefully with me and our two sons by her side.



Arla was predeceased by her parents, Howard and Olive Brown, her in-laws, Alfred and Louise Green, brothers-in-law, Wayne (Diane), Bruce Green, and Tom Wiebe as well as her favourite dog Tula.



I will forever miss Arla after being together for over 60 years and married for almost 55 years. She will be deeply missed by her two sons, Jason (Amanda Edge) and Graeme (Jaimi) and her two favourite chicks (granddaughters) Sydney and Olivia. As the youngest of her family, she will be mourned by her sister Babe (Ken) Spencer and brother Val (Dorothy Wakaruk) Brown. She also leaves behind her sisters-in-law, Wilma Wiebe, Freda (Ernie Turek) Smith, Betty Green, Lorraine (Bobby Lapointe) Green, Brenda Johnston and brother-in-law Zale (Kathy) Fitzgerald. She had numerous nieces and nephews who she cared for deeply. Her memory will be cherished by her lifelong friend Audrey (Jim) Montgomery.



Arla was born a fighter on June 5, 1944, in Winnipeg, with a heart defect and had surgery at the age of 17. We started going together that same year and I never left her side throughout her subsequent hospital stays.



In her early years, Arla enjoyed being a drum majorette and volunteering as a Brownie leader. She also volunteered at the Woodhaven Community Club. We met at St. James Collegiate and got married on September 14, 1968. Arla supported us by working at Montreal Trust as I worked towards my Chartered Accountant designation. We bought our first house on Buffie Bay where we met lifelong friends, the Sullivans and the Moons. We later moved to Athlone Drive where we met the Brackens. That friendship continued with Tuesday night dinners at the Salisbury House. We moved to our current home on Ronald Street in 1990 and have enjoyed being neighbours with Rae and Renee.



Arla had a passion for entrepreneurship and fashion. She opened her first business when the boys were older called The Diet Centre. She ran this business for a few years followed by the opening of a women’s fashion boutique with her friend Charlene (Horst) Erb called Charla’s in the Courts of St. James. After retiring from Charla’s, Arla worked at Holidaze and Classic Elegance. Arla always strived to help empower women to succeed.



Arla’s infectious laugh could be heard during marathon sessions of scrabble and nickels with her family as she sipped on Ginger Ale and ate Werther’s candy. She also enjoyed spending time over a glass of wine with her friends Bernice (Peter) Klein and Donna Remillard.

Many laughs and stories were shared during family gatherings. Arla would insist that these gatherings would be at our house as she loved hosting and cooking big meals for our family. She always went out of her way to make people feel welcome in our home. She loved planning for Christmas in July and our annual Christmas Eve party.



We enjoyed spending time with friends and family over many winters at our condo in Florida. Arla loved driving our convertible whenever she had a chance to feel the Florida sun on her face and the sea breeze in her red hair. Arla’s passion for shopping and decorating reached record levels during that time and continued in Winnipeg. Saying that she loved to shop would be an understatement. When Arla was in a bit of a low with her dementia, I would often say let’s go shopping and her mood would instantly change.



The last few years had been hard on Arla as her vision worsened. She had multiple trips to CancerCare for iron and blood transfusions to help battle her cancer. Our family cherished the good days with her and knew the bad days were due to the dementia, as she always had a positive outlook on life. She was loved every moment she was alive and will continue to be loved always.



A celebration of her life will take place on Monday, July 24 at 2:00 p.m. at Chapel Lawn Funeral Home, 4000 Portage Avenue.



Our family would like to thank the staff on the 3rd floor of Concordia Hospital with special acknowledgement to the health care aides who gave our family strength during this difficult time. We are grateful for the care provided by Dr. J. Elkin, Dr. Dawe, and Dr. Orr over the years. Lastly, thank you to Joanne Malizia for her loving care of Arla in her final months.



In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to CancerCare Manitoba in Arla’s memory.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 15, 2023