FRANCES THORSTEINSON (MYLYMUK (MYLES))

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FRANCES THORSTEINSON (nee MYLYMUK (MYLES)) February 6, 1922 - January 5, 2014 On January 5, 2014, with her family at her side, Frances Thorsteinson passed away peacefully at Lions Personal Care Centre in Winnipeg. Frances leaves behind her children, Tom (Cathie), Joan (Derek), Betsy (Brad), Gloria (Michael), and Inga; grandchildren Emily (Timothy), Angela (Ryan) and Eric (Christa); great-grandchildren, Jameson, Riley, Brooklyn, Cole and Chad. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Marvin in 2004, daughter-in-law Linda (Tom) in 2000, son-in-law Barrie (Joan) in 2012 and son-in-law Ed (Inga) in 2013. "Fanny" was born in Winnipeg on February 6, 1922 and grew up in the North End, the second youngest of a vibrant immigrant family of seven children. Throughout her life, she remained close with her brothers and sisters who affectionately called her Nane. All of them have predeceased her. In the Depression-era North End, she remembered attending the Ukrainian Labour Temple on Pritchard Avenue and seeing her brother Mickey play the drums in a dance band at the Starland Theatre. Fanny met the love of her life, Marvin Thorsteinson, on a blind date and, in 1941, at the age of 19, married him. They were together for 63 happy years. It was a quintessential Manitoba marriage: Ukrainian and Icelandic. Fanny was the apple of Marvin's eye, always bubbling with new ideas and projects. She loved to laugh, rarely showing anger. Generous, easy-going and nonjudgemental, she allowed her children the freedom to explore and make their own fun. Our loving home was filled with the sound of CBC radio, classical music, laughter and lively debates around the dining-room table. A devotee of Julia Child and The Galloping Gourmet, she loved to cook, passing on her considerable skills to her daughters. Fanny and Marvin's lifelong love affair was a marvel to behold. She always joked that her five children were the happy byproducts of her love for Marvin. Although circumstances prevented her from going to University, Fanny was a lifelong learner and lover of the arts. She attended lectures at the Art Gallery, courses at the University of Manitoba and classical-music concerts with Marvin. She loved The New Yorker magazine and read voraciously, a habit she passed on to her children. She believed that her opinions mattered: when she wasn't writing letters to the editor, she was firing off notes to everyone from her city councillor to the CBC. Summers were spent at the Victoria Beach cottage, dubbed "the hospital" by Fanny for its therapeutic R&R. After her children left home, she blossomed, spending many happy years working at Winnipeg's Fleet Gallery with her good friends Delores and Doris, and later at Cargo East with her mentor, Leona. After retirement, she downsized the household to a cosy bungalow for her and Marvin and spent many happy hours in her garden. After suffering a crippling stroke in 2005, she was cared for by her daughters, Joan and Gloria. Although increasingly frail in her final years, she was cheerful to the end, looking forward to the day she would be reunited with her beloved Marvin. Fanny, your wish has come true. On her 80th birthday, she wrote to her youngest daughter, Inga: "Take the advice of an old pro and enjoy your years. The first fifty years are a learning process of what life means and the second is a wise application of what you have learned. So for a happy and contented life, try living simply, thriftily and healthily and all will fall into place in the end." The family would like to thank all the wonderful staff on the fourth floor of Lions Personal Care Centre for their respectful and thoughtful care of Fanny. She requested that there be no funeral. Per her wishes, there will be a family gathering at Victoria Beach this summer to celebrate her life. In lieu of flowers, donations in Fanny's memory can be made to the Arts organization of your choice. NEIL BARDAL FUNERAL CENTRE 204-949-2200 neilbardalinc.com

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 11, 2014