Barbara Ratchford (née Frost), 70, of Victoria BC, passed away on May 28th, one week shy of her 71st birthday.

Barbara is survived by her loving husband James Ratchford, sister Sandra (Daniel) Scott, brother-in-law Chris (Lesley) Ratchford, sister in-laws Susan (Ken) Domereski and Joanne (Bruce) Meyers along with many nieces and nephews and other close family members and friends. 

 She enjoyed a career hairdressing/managing salons in retirement homes and hospitals bringing joy to many.  She met her husband Jim (James) in Victoria where they spent a loving 30 years together.  

 A small, private celebration of life will be held at a future date.  In lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to your local SPCA, an organization Barbara felt strong about.

 

Deborah was born in Regina, Saskatchewan but soon moved with her family to Vancouver, BC where her brother Daryl was born. In the late 1950’s the family moved to Victoria where they owned and operated the Tudor House Inn for several years before moving to Powell River where they owned and operated a local hotel. Again, in the early 1960’s the family moved back to Victoria to participate in the operation of the Century Inn.
It was then that Deborah started her many years at Norfolk House school where she enjoyed several languages and sports among her activities. She has kept in contact with many of her school friends over the years.
After graduating school and working to save funds she embarked on a six+ month trip through Europe, Morocco and Great Britain. Traveling was one of her passions with many trips abroad during her schooling and life endeavors. Trips to Hong Kong, Singapore, hiking through the jungles of Borneo and staring into the depths of Mt Vesuvius where among her travel destinations. Recent trips to Europe with long stays in Spain and time in Paris, Venice (one of her favorites) Florence, Morocco and Ireland.
She worked for many years as a Certified General Accountant (CGA) becoming one of the youngest female comptrollers of a business in her early 20’s, installing leading edge computers of the day. After many years of accounting with several businesses and government positions she retired at 62 and started to enjoy her hard earned retirement. Her culinary passions blossomed and she held many family and friend dinners over the years. Some of her happiest times.
She married the love of her life, Mark, in 1988 and they considered themselves newlywed until the end.
Deborah will be sadly missed but lovingly remembered by her family and friends. Leaving behind her husband Mark, brother Daryl (Donna), Sister in law Barbara, Aunt Crista and nephew Clayton plus many friends and relatives.
A Celebration of Life will be held over the summer. To be announced.

Pierrette Gravel of Victoria, BC, passed away peacefully on March 27, 2024 at the age of 80.

She was born on December 7, 1943 in Hull, Quebec to Simone and Arthur Gravel.

She will be mourned by her four children Elaine (Jim), Michael, Brian (Tina), and Laurie (Aaron).

She is survived by her sisters Diane, Nicole, Lise and her brothers Constant and Gerry.

Grandma “Pie” will be missed by her grandchildren Molly, Nicholas, Aly, Cassidy, Jonathan, Emily, Paige, and her great granddaughter, Lily.

Pierrette found great joy spending time with her family and friends, baking, and gardening. She was a very kind-hearted, loving person and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A celebration of life will be held on August 21, 2024 at 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm at 3906 Ansell Rd, Victoria, BC.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Canadian Red Cross.

In loving memory of Leah Nicole Richardson

Deeply missed by, parents, David & Karen Richardson, sister Tara and brother in law David DeRusha and her loving nieces, Emma and Amelia

Today, we remember Leah’s life and celebrate all the wonderful memories we have.

Leah was an auntie, sister and daughter who loved her family deeply. So many wonderful memories and laughs were shared before she was taken too early. Leah will be remembered as a wonderfully spirited and adventurous soul who grew up fiercely competitive in anything she applied herself to. With the sense that she could conquer any challenge put in front of her, she quickly earned the name of Leah “I Can Do It” Richardson.

With one of the most infectious laughs, we can still hear her “Loo Laugh” from across the room today. She blessed so many people who had the opportunity to know her. Our little Loo will be missed tremendously. In this time of grieving, one thing which brings comfort is knowing that Leah is in heaven with Grandma, Grandpa and other loved ones who have passed, looking down on us with love.

Leah was born and raised in Squamish, B.C.  She loved her sports and played Ringette, Ice Hockey, Basketball, Volleyball, Snowboarding & Baseball. While living in Squamish, she enjoyed running and hiking the Chief.  Special family time was sailing on our family sailboat “Hat Trick”. She attended Thompson Rivers University and graduated with her BA in Business and Accounting. Leah moved to Vancouver Island and worked in Finance.

Many locals will remember Leah baking in the Eagle Run Coffee Company (Bean Café). She started when she was 14 and took pride in her scones, muffins and soups. She was a foodie with a passion and was always in the kitchen during family gatherings. We miss her spanakopita, chili and lemon scones.

Losing a child is something no parent is ever prepared for. We feel the heartbreak daily, facing the loss of our daughter, sister and auntie.

Leah, remembering you is easy, we do it every day, but the heartache is something that never goes away.

 

A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam
And for a brief moment its glory
and beauty belong to our world
But then it flies again
And though we wish it could have stayed…
We feel lucky to have seen it

 

Love Mom, Dad, Tara, David, Emma & Amelia

                 

 

 

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Eleanor Bonin on February 6, 2024.

Eleanor was born in the small town of Newmill, Moray in the highlands of Scotland in 1936 to Isabella and Douglas. After graduating from school, she got her first job working in a woollen mill. She met her husband, Jim, while he was doing carpentry jobs around the mill. Jim had to complete his compulsory Army training in London, in the Scots Guards, who were stationed at Chelsea Barracks. During this time, Eleanor worked as a legal secretary in a law office in Keith, Moray. They dated for six years before marrying and made a stunning couple on their wedding day as Jim wore his Scots Guards uniform, complete with bearskin hat. A year later, their only child, Louise was born.

Eleanor and Jim owned several houses in Keith before eventually moving to Brighton, England where Jim was, by now, working as a Site Agent in charge of building sites at various locations in the south of England. They had a good life in Brighton for the next twelve years with their dog, Keeno. Sadly, Jim passed away suddenly at the age of 44, leaving Eleanor a widow. Eleanor decided to emigrate to Canada in 1981 in search of a new beginning as her two brothers were already Canadian citizens and her mother was a Canadian citizen by birth, so there was a strong connection to Canada. She settled in Vancouver and a year later, her daughter, Louise, also emigrated to Vancouver.

Eleanor lived with Louise for a few years when her grandchildren, Sarah and Ryan, were young and helped with school drop- offs and pick-ups. She was a kind and compassionate person, who cared about others. She lived with, and cared for her mother, Isabella, throughout most of their years in Vancouver. She was truly selfless when it came to family and was always willing to lend a listening ear and offer good advice. She was a strong advocate for people facing hardship and had a very kind heart.

Eleanor developed a passion for the French language during her time in Canada and studied it extensively. She read books that were written in French to sharpen her skills. She volunteered with a French club in Maillardville (the French quarter of Coquitlam) where she did crafts, like crocheting, knitting and making greeting cards, dreamcatchers and other ornaments which were sold at their events and was instrumental in starting a French writing class for the ladies with whom she socialized in the club. She met and married her second husband, Paul, who was a French Canadian and who was a collector of classic cars and other interesting antique memorabilia. One of his prize possessions was a beautifully restored 1938 Packard Roadster. She really enjoyed being driven around in the Packard whenever he was exhibiting it at an event. Together, they travelled to a number of places in the U.S., including a lovely trip to Hawaii, and made frequent trips to his cabin at Fawn Lake. She was always intrigued by the pioneer life and enjoyed reading about the lives of early pioneer women.

After taking ESL courses through Douglas College, she became a Teacher Aide, who home-schooled students in ESL. She also studied foot reflexology and her family members were sometimes the beneficiaries of a reflexology treatment when she visited. She was a good cook, always interested in trying out new healthy and delicious recipes. She enjoyed walking as her preferred exercise.

Along with her daughter, she joined the 78th Fraser Highlanders, best described as a military historical society. She was later inducted as a M’Lady, along with her daughter, and they enjoyed attending formal dinners at the Fort Fraser Garrison in Vancouver and hearing the resident Piper in attendance at these dinners. During their time with the Frasers, Eleanor and Louise took a trip to Montreal and Quebec in 2007 where they attended the “Dinner under the Stars” hosted by the 78th Frasers (Fort York Garrison) and witnessed a magnificent fireworks display afterwards. Eleanor had lots of fun practising her French in every coffee shop and store she visited during the trip.

Eleanor was a true romantic at heart and always had a story to share about someone special that she met. She carried her romantic dreams wherever she went and believed in fairy tales. She had a sweet, naivety to her nature. One of the questions she often pondered was “Do you make the journey, or does the journey make you?”

She met her partner, Jan, in 2016 and ended up living in Sidney and Saanich on Vancouver Island for the past eight years and when Jan passed away in late 2021, she shared an apartment with Renata in the same building. She was a frequent visitor to the Shoal Centre and could often be seen shopping in Sidney or having lunch at Beacon’s Landing, the Shoal Centre or the Waddling Dog Pub in Saanich. Eleanor was a truly beautiful soul, with a good heart, and is missed so much by her family and the people who knew her and whose lives she touched, even for a brief moment.

Eleanor will be lovingly remembered by her daughter, Louise (Doug), her grandchildren, Sarah (Pav) and Ryan, her brother Stewart (Lorna), sister-in-law Joan and her nieces and nephews, Shoana (Tom), Celena (Dean), Douglas (Debbie), Colin, Ewen and Willis. She is predeceased by her father, Douglas (1940), who died in battle in WWII, her mother, Isabella (2005), her brother, Douglas (2023), her first husband, James (1980) and her second husband, Paul (2011). Arrangements are being made for a small gathering of family and friends to celebrate her life. Anyone wishing to honour Eleanor are invited to make a donation in her name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, the Alzheimer’s Association or the Shoal Centre in Sidney.