VALERIE ST. JOHN

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VALERIE ST. JOHN

September 17, 1938 - July 3, 2025

It is with sadness that the family announces the passing of Valerie St. John following a brief illness.

She was predeceased by her husband Don and is survived by her children Philip (Christie), Ian (Ashley) and Elaine (John), and grandchildren Elizabeth, Kai, Catherine, Hattie, Kalani, Brendan and Julia.

Valerie was born in Selkirk and raised in Cloverdale on the family farm. During her very early years, her parents worked at a lumber camp. After dinner, the men would clear the long table, put one-year-old Valerie at one end, and pass her from hand to hand down the length as she learned to walk. She shared a very special bond with her sister Nadine. Valerie attended school in a one room schoolhouse until she went to high school in Selkirk. Valerie then attended medical school at University of Manitoba, graduating as one of two women in the class of 1963. She was in many ways the ideal woman to attend a male dominated faculty at that time. When male attending physicians told her women didn’t belong in medical school, she would inwardly reply with a very matter of fact ‘why not?’, while outwardly maintaining her calm composure.

Debt prevented her from pursuing a specialty, and instead she went to Minnedosa to work as a general practitioner. She planned to stay only long enough to erase her debt. Shortly after moving, she met Don St. John, and following a whirlwind courtship, they married. She would end up working as a GP in Minnedosa until 2004, and lived there for the rest of her life. After the birth of her children, she practiced part time. When her youngest child was in high school, she returned to full time practice in Minnedosa, delivering many babies, and providing exceptional medical care to the people of Minnedosa and the surrounding region. She was honoured for her years of service by the Manitoba Medical Association in 2008 as a CMA honourary member. Following her retirement from clinical practice to enable her to care for Don, she took on several different roles. She worked for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba, the local Health Authority, and Veterans Affairs Canada. After her retirement from all medical practice, her volunteering, travel, book clubs, friends and family filled her life with purpose and happiness.

Valerie took pride in her work. But her greatest pride and joy was her family. She was a caring and devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. She loved spending time with her grandchildren, and summers in Minnedosa were a special time for them. Valerie’s loyalty, kindness, and compassion meant she was dear to all who were lucky enough to know her.

The family would like to thank the staff at the Minnedosa hospital for their excellent care of Valerie in her final days. Special thanks go to Dr. Dan Onyshko, her longtime colleague and friend. Thanks also to her many friends who were a source of constant companionship and support. To celebrate Valerie’s life, we will hold a come and go tea on Saturday, July 26, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. at the Minnedosa Legion. Flowers gratefully declined. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Valerie’s memory to the U of M Faculty of Medicine Bursaries Fund https://give.umanitoba.ca/ , the Minnedosa United Church https://minnedosauc.ca/ , or the Minnedosa Legion www.legion.ca Funeral arrangements handled by White’s Funeral Home-Minnedosa https://www.whitesfh.ca/

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jul 12, 2025