SHEILAGH BRIGID BLIGHT

With heavy hearts, we are very sad to report that Sheilagh Brigid Blight (née Thorvaldson) passed away, in her home, in her seventy-first year, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, on Saturday, July 12, 2025, after a 16-month battle with cancer. Sheilagh was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She was one of seven children of Wallace (Rocky) Thorvaldson (deceased 1983) and Phoebe Thorvaldson (deceased 2014). Brothers: Sean (deceased 1971), Brian (deceased 2018), Brendan (Mara) (deceased 2000), and Kevin (Robin) (deceased 2025). Sisters: Tara Moulton (Rick) (deceased 2024), and Deirdre Zlomanchuk (Lawrence). She was educated at the University of Calgary. She met her husband, Laurence (Larry), during the Calgary Stampede in 1978, and after a long-distance romance, married in 1979 in Calgary. Sheilagh then set off on a 20 plus year career at the Hudson's Bay Company, where she climbed the corporate ladder and travelled to the four corners of the world as a buying executive, and was the most senior woman at HBC at the time of her retirement as a Vice President. She subsequently embarked on the greatest adventure of all, raising two young boys, Alexander and Colin, as well as a loving family dog named Crayon. She volunteered at every school the boys attended. She ran her own embroidery business at home and helped out at Kate's Garden in Markham when the boys got older. Sheilagh and her family moved to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 2017. She loved the life in Niagara, where she met many new friends and enjoyed the wonderful community which included golfing at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club and of course, working in her garden. She was a tough, uniquely determined, and stoic woman in everything she did and continued that until the very end in her fight with cancer. She was a wonderful Mother, Wife and Companion, Auntie, Sister, and Friend. She is survived by husband, Laurence (Larry), of 46 years; and sons, Colin and Alexander. She loved and cherished her extended family including many nieces: Chelsea Siler (Dom), Leigh Moulton (Phil), and Elizabeth Rose; and nephews: Kyle Siler, Carter Thorvaldson (Munzie), Braden Thorvaldson (Sara), Jack Moulton (Hayden), and Sean Moulton; and brother and sister-in-law, Stephen and Ann Blight, and ex-sister-in-law, Margie Niven. She was also predeceased by ex-brother-in-law, Don Siler; and niece, Kirsten. Sheilagh was most at ease in the company of her family. We all love you and miss you terribly. Some of her favourite extended family vacations over the years were in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, Parksville, BC, Cobble Hill, BC, Westport, Ontario, Coeur D'Alene, Idaho, as well as trips to Calgary, Montreal, and Ottawa at Christmas every year for 30 consecutive years to visit family. There were memorable family ski trips to Banff, Kananaskis, Whistler, BC, Mont-Tremblant, Quebec City, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Lake Placid in New York State as well. Many thanks to the large team of caregivers that made Sheilagh comfortable until the very end. Sheilagh's celebration of life will be held in Niagara-on-the-Lake on September the 6th, at 1:30 p.m. For venue information, please visit https://tinyurl.com/34s6ue74