Obituary for Lillian Mary MacBain
Lillian Mary MacBain passed away peacefully at Brandon Regional Health Centre on January 7, 2023.
Lillian was born in Brandon on September 21, 1925 to Laura Louise and Joseph Frederick Bartlett.
Many in Southwestern Manitoba will remember Lillian as a bookkeeper whose career in Brandon began at MacArthur and Son in the 1940’s and ended with her retirement from Shur-Gro in the 1990’s.
Lillian hadn’t made any specific plans for her retirement years and certainly hadn’t expected there would be so many. She had previously travelled to Great Britain, Hawaii, Fiji, Arizona and across Canada, attending Vancouver’s Expo 86 and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. She was grateful to have been able to make the trips but always happy to return to Brandon. She was a person always “there” for her inner circle; ready and able to congratulate a success or solve a problem.
She was a natural at so many things. She made hosting large family dinners, baking sumptuous pastry or sewing a little black velvet dress in two hours and sans pattern look so easy. She was also a superb driver despite having begun at age 50 and accomplished at Mahjong which she learned to play after age 70. At age 97 she faced one of her greatest challenges when she had to move to a personal care home and leave behind her cherished independence and the house and neighbourhood she loved for 60 years. She survived the loss with dignity. She was only at Hillcrest Place for 3 months but made an effort to adapt to institutional life and appreciated the sincere kindness of her caregivers.
Lillian was predeceased by her five sisters and missed them so very much. She regularly shared anecdotes so others would know how special these people had been. It is now time for family and friends to do the same for her. She will be forever missed by her daughter, Pat MacBain of Brandon and son, Ken (Sandra) MacBain of Ste. Anne, as well as her brother-in-law Doug Reekie of Calgary, nieces, nephews and her “younger than me” friends.
Private interment will be in the Columbarium, Brandon Municipal Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please donate in her memory to the charity of your choosing.
Lillian was born in Brandon on September 21, 1925 to Laura Louise and Joseph Frederick Bartlett.
Many in Southwestern Manitoba will remember Lillian as a bookkeeper whose career in Brandon began at MacArthur and Son in the 1940’s and ended with her retirement from Shur-Gro in the 1990’s.
Lillian hadn’t made any specific plans for her retirement years and certainly hadn’t expected there would be so many. She had previously travelled to Great Britain, Hawaii, Fiji, Arizona and across Canada, attending Vancouver’s Expo 86 and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. She was grateful to have been able to make the trips but always happy to return to Brandon. She was a person always “there” for her inner circle; ready and able to congratulate a success or solve a problem.
She was a natural at so many things. She made hosting large family dinners, baking sumptuous pastry or sewing a little black velvet dress in two hours and sans pattern look so easy. She was also a superb driver despite having begun at age 50 and accomplished at Mahjong which she learned to play after age 70. At age 97 she faced one of her greatest challenges when she had to move to a personal care home and leave behind her cherished independence and the house and neighbourhood she loved for 60 years. She survived the loss with dignity. She was only at Hillcrest Place for 3 months but made an effort to adapt to institutional life and appreciated the sincere kindness of her caregivers.
Lillian was predeceased by her five sisters and missed them so very much. She regularly shared anecdotes so others would know how special these people had been. It is now time for family and friends to do the same for her. She will be forever missed by her daughter, Pat MacBain of Brandon and son, Ken (Sandra) MacBain of Ste. Anne, as well as her brother-in-law Doug Reekie of Calgary, nieces, nephews and her “younger than me” friends.
Private interment will be in the Columbarium, Brandon Municipal Cemetery. In lieu of flowers please donate in her memory to the charity of your choosing.