Shirley Valerie LEAKER

SHIRLEY VALERIE LEAKER It is with great sadness that Rick, Mike and Cathy share the news of the passing of our much loved mother, Shirley Valerie Leaker (née Baillie) on December 30, 2021 in her 89th year. The pandemic and periods of isolation were not kind to her, and though progressive dementia stole much of her from us, even at the last there were flashes of her unmistakable sense of humor that were a great comfort. Mum, (never Mom), relished all the roles in her life and lived each to the fullest - wife and partner to David Leaker for more than 50 years, mother, grandmother, volunteer, amongst others. She was a long time skilled Bridge player and a (mostly) patient teacher ('Don't ever lead a king!') of the game to her children. She loved the Arts both high (Citadel Theatre, Edmonton Symphony) and not so high (a favorite move was Bridesmaids), she was also a big Gilbert and Sullivan fan and sang in the chorus of the Montreal West Operatic Society in her younger days, through which she met Dad. G&S continued to be a shared passion through all their married life. We remember her laugh, especially when, as Dad would say, 'she's got the giggles', and Mum would snicker on for several minutes, usually at something very silly, or a ribald joke, or, well, one didn't always know! Mum taught us love, acceptance, to make the most of every opportunity, and how to make a fabulous lemon meringue pie! We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the staff at the Devonshire Care Centre for their tender and compassionate attention to her needs. As the current reality does not allow for an opportunity to gather together in celebration of her life, we ask you to share amongst yourselves any special memory you might have of her. In lieu of flowers, any donation to the Canadian Cancer Society (mum was a longtime volunteer at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton) would be much appreciated.