LORETTA THERESA (RICHARDSON) KENDRICK (MCNEIL)

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LORETTA THERESA (RICHARDSON) KENDRICK (nee MCNEIL) November 8, 1916 - January 18, 2014 It is with love in our hearts for our dear Mother, that we sadly announce that she passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 18, 2014 with her two daughters, Jude and Laurie, and her best friend, Jean Reimer, at her side. She will be dearly missed by her (surviving) children: Dan (Evie), Tim (Laura), Mike, Jude (Mike) and Laurie, by her grandchildren Zoe (Jeff), Tim, Kate (Trevor), Jessica, Lee, Kailey and Matthew, great-granddaughters, Starla, Madeleine, her brother Neil, niece Carole and all the McNeils and Rastins. Mom was predeceased by her daughters, Mary Linda (1944), Catherine (1958), son Ross (2006) (Janice), second husband Jack (1996) and Dad (1999). Loretta was born and raised in London, ON, the third of five children born to Mary Theresa and Loughlin McNeil. Following her first year of studies at the U. of Western Ontario, Loretta knew what her true calling in life was to be, so she entered the School of Nursing at St. Joseph's Hospital, and graduated as an RN in September 1937. Being a nurse was Mom's passion for 35 years, as an operating room nurse, nursing supervisor and nursing instructor (Licensed Practical Nursing Program). Mom was the epitome of the kind, compassionate care-giver. She left a lasting impression on the lives of her patients in the way she made them feel; and on the lives of her students by imparting to them what she valued most highly, always to treat their patients with the same care and compassion as they would give to their own loved ones. Mom met her first husband, our father, J.R. (Jack) Richardson on a blind date during the Second World War, when she was working at Westminster Hospital, the military hospital in London, ON. Dad and Mom married on August 20, 1943 and had their first of eight children, Mary Linda, on October 24, 1944, who tragically died a week later. Returning to Winnipeg at the Wars' end, their family continued to grow and thrive over the years. Mom revelled in her brood; she was the ultimate den mother and the heart of our family. She was our biggest booster and our constant source of love, comfort and care. We feel we were blessed to have her as our Mother. Loretta re-married in 1987, to Jack Kendrick, with whom she enjoyed nine happy years before his passing in 1996. Besides her very busy life as a mother and nurse, Mom was an avid reader, golfer, bridge player, cross-country skier, bike rider, and consummate story teller. She was fun loving and playful, and had a wonderful sense of humour. She was friendly and warm to everyone, including total strangers whom she would meet and befriend on her travels across Canada, to Europe and Hawaii. We would like to thank the staff of 2 ABC, Actionmarguerite-Tache Centre, for their compassionate care of Mom and their kind support to Laurie and Jude. A Service of Remembrance will be held at Desjardins Funeral Chapel, 357 Des Meurons Street, Winnipeg, MB, Saturday, February 1, 2014 at 1:00 p.m. with a reception to follow. This summer we will have a celebration of Loretta's life at Lake of the Woods, where she spent many a happy summer with her family. If desired, donations may be made in her memory to A Port in the Storm medical hostel (http://www.aportinthestorm.ca/), or to the Grey Nuns of Montreal, 151 rue Despins, Winnipeg, MB, in lieu of flowers. Condolences and memories may be sent through www.desjardinsfuneralchapel.ca Desjardins 233-4949 1-888-233-4949

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Jan 25, 2014