(EMMA) LENORE WILLIAMS

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(EMMA) LENORE WILLIAMS

(JOHANNESSON)

January 16, 1928 - December 15, 2025

After a brief illness, Lenore chose to die peacefully and painlessly in the comfort of her own home, lovingly surrounded by her children, son Chris (Linda Golding) and daughters, Cynthia (David McNicol), Andrea (Basil Webber), and Alison (Bruce Hanks).

Lenore was predeceased in 2020 by her husband of 70 years, Roy, and by her parents, Konnie and Freda Johannesson, brother Ken Johannesson, and sister Connie Appleby. She is survived by her brother Brian Johannesson (Carole) of Waterloo, Ontario.

Lenore grew up in Winnipeg and at Loni Beach in Gimli. She attended the University of Manitoba where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Home Economics. She went to work at Manitoba Hydro but was let go when she became engaged to Roy. Thank goodness times have changed! In line with the times, she began her career as an exceptional mother, amma, and great-amma to a large family. She will be greatly missed by her nine grandchildren Jeremy, Sasha, Kimberly, Alanna, Meghan, Kaitlin, Kyla, Konrad, and Koli as well as their partners and 19 great-grandchildren.

Lenore's Icelandic heritage was front and centre in the family. Every summer the Icelandic cousins would head to Gimli for Islendingadagurinn and to have tea with the Icelandic aunties. From her mother, a gifted musician and piano teacher, Lenore inherited a deep appreciation for music, singing with her sister Connie in the Home Ec Echoes, a vocal quartet, and playing the piano well into her 90s. It was not unusual to find her sitting at the piano alongside a grandchild or great-grandchild learning a few classic duets. Like her mother, she also had a penchant for cryptic crosswords and made it her morning ritual to do The Globe and Mail's. And watch out if you sat kitty-corner to her at the bridge table. She was an absolute maven at this game and brought home many trophies to prove it. As far as Scrabble went, a favourite game in the family, she was the reigning Queen.

From her father, a member of the Winnipeg Falcons Olympic Hockey Team, Lenore developed a great love of sports, playing badminton and tennis until her "retirement" at the age of 88! She also fondly remembered her dad, a First World War pilot who went on to run an air business north of Winnipeg, doing airplane loop-de-loops with her and her siblings which led to her lifelong love of roller coasters.

Lenore and Roy lived and worked in Winnipeg, Chicago, Calgary, Edmonton, and finally, Vancouver. It was in these settings that they welcomed family to come and stay a while! And stay they did: all 45 of them. Over the years the family bonds grew strong. Lenore was a master entertainer with amazing cooking skills and a passion for singalongs. Their hospitality was second to none.

Lenore was an exceptional knitter, making countless sweaters over the years for family and friends. Her Fair Isle baby sweaters, in particular, were remarkable, and produced at a very fast rate!

Perhaps the most exceptional thing about Lenore was her demeanour. When you phoned and asked how she was, her answer was inevitably, "Wonderful!" She was known to move fast, walk with purpose, and smile along the way, so much so that if you Google "Miss Typical Canadian Girl 1945," A.I. will tell you it was Lenore Johannesson. Time Magazine referred to her as "Miss Canada."

Lenore was brave, and faced life with all its challenges with fortitude and strength. At the same time, she was full of joy much of the time, giggling her way around the house while a grandchild tickled her knees. She was open to changing her once conservative views and after many years of round table discussions with her offspring, she proudly announced one day that she had voted for the NDP!

We are grateful to the people in our beautiful country who worked hard to make sure Medical Assistance in Dying became a legal right for Canadians. We all got to shower our mother with love and gratitude before she died. We all got to say good-bye, and our mom got to die with dignity, singing her heart out one last time, surrounded by her loved ones. We want to especially thank Leanne, Kim, and Lana, who medically assisted our mother.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Breast Cancer Society of Canada (bcsc.ca).

Our mother will live on in all of us forever.

Góða nótt, elskan.

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Dec 20, 2025