HAZEL SKINNER

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HAZEL SKINNER

(nee BARCLAY)

Hazel Skinner (née Barclay) passed away peacefully, surrounded by family and friends, on August 20, 2026 after a brief illness. Words cannot express how special and loved she was, or how greatly she will be missed.

The youngest of three children, Hazel was born into a humble, happy home in Turriff, in the northeast of Scotland, on September 25, 1938. As a child, she loved roaming around “the croft” and tending to the family’s animals. Her love of nature inspired her to study botany and biology at the University of Aberdeen. After earning a BSc and completing teacher training in 1960, she taught at an Aberdeen high school.

Hazel met James Skinner on the tennis court, and they married in 1961. Their daughter, Karen, was born in 1963. Two years later, they emigrated to Canada for better career opportunities. Hazel initially taught at Vincent Massey High School but was ready for a change by the late 1960s. She walked over to Brandon University and was immediately hired as a botany and biology lab instructor - a job she loved and devoted herself to for 28 years.

Hazel loved Canada from day one: for the bright sunshine, hot summers, and beauty of its landscape, the friendliness of its people, and the freedom and opportunities it provided. She made dear, lifelong friends and enjoyed an active social life filled with dinner parties, tennis, hiking, cross-country skiing, gardening, and Scottish country dancing. She had tremendous energy! She volunteered for decades, cooked from scratch (often making soups, stews, and jams into the wee hours), and took on extra duties at work: managing the greenhouse, making coffee daily for the science faculty, and occasionally marking exams for foot-dragging faculty members.

In 1989, Hazel met Charlie Zimmerman, and they spent 12 happy years together, gardening and enjoying nature holidays in the USA, Mexico and Central America. Following Charlie’s death in 2001, Hazel continued to travel extensively, particularly after her daughter began teaching English in Asia and the Middle East. She played tennis, entertained friends, and gardened well into her late 70s.

The final years of Hazel’s life were physically challenging as a result of heart attacks and heart and hip surgeries. Despite pain and limited mobility, she soldiered on, continuing to read voraciously, watch tennis, play Scrabble, and dispense her mummy wisdom.

Hazel is survived by her daughter, Karen Skinner (Mohammad); stepsons Todd (Nancy) and Craig Zimmerman; sister-in-law Agnes Barclay; nephews Billy, Colin (Angela), and Douglas (Yvonne) Barclay; and niece Charlotte Greig (Dave). She will also be fondly remembered by Colleen and Terry Mitchell, the Happy Hour gang, and many friends and students whose lives she touched.

The family would like to thank Dr. Fourie, Dr. Sandhawalia, nurse April Crossman, and the other nurses and health care aides at Brandon General Hospital for their dedicated, compassionate care.

Donations in Hazel’s memory may be made to Brandon General Hospital or to a charity of your choice. A Celebration of Life is planned for late October.

As published in Brandon Sun on Aug 29, 2026