Obituary of Gwendolyn June McAdoo

Gwendolyn June McAdoo (nee Hamilton) passed away peacefully on Thursday, September 12, 2019, at the age of 89 years. She was predeceased by her husband Gerald McAdoo; father, James Hamilton; mother, Lucy (Gunter) Hamilton; stepmother, Louise (Colvin) Hamilton; siblings, James Hamilton, May (Hamilton) Menz, Doris (Hamilton) Hale and Robert Hamilton. Gwen is survived by son, Patrick (Hope) McAdoo of Calgary, AB; granddaughters, Jacqueline (Gerrod) O’Hara of Calgary, AB and Kimberly McAdoo of Lethbridge, AB; sister-in-Law, Shirley Hamilton of Nanaimo, BC; niece, Debbie Menz of Regina, SK and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. Gwen was proud to be a lifelong resident of Regina. Born in 1930, she attended Wetmore School, Central Collegiate, and Balfour Tech. While working at the cafeteria at the Regina Airport, she met a WWII Navy veteran who was retraining as an electrician. She and Gerald (Jerry) McAdoo were wed on October 1, 1949 – a union that lasted until Jerry passed away in 2006.  Throughout their years together, they loved to travel, whether it be for pleasure, conventions, or to trap shoots in Canada and the US. Family and friends were the center of Gwen’s life. Her friendships were varied and came from so many places and activities:  beekeeping, Regina Transit System, hunting friends that became family, her time working, fitness programs, and of course trapshooting.  Her outgoing, bubbly personality and love for a good joke made Gwen an easy friend and those friendships lasted years, if not a lifetime. Family was very important to her – whether by blood or by marriage.  But the lights of her life arrived in her two granddaughters – Jacqueline and Kimberly.  “Granny” could often be found at her sewing machine, making matching outfits for the girls, knitting for them, or travelling to visit them whether they were living in Edmonton, Langley, or Calgary. The Scottish heritage of her dad was strong in Gwen, with many of the traditions and superstitions being passed down. The sound of the bagpipes and the Alexander Brothers were a common occurrence wherever she lived, and she was filled with pride when Kimberly took up Highland dancing. Her final “family” was the staff, volunteers and residents at Santa Maria where Gwen lived for the last 6 ½ years of her life. Once again, her bubbly personality and love of a good joke won friends and perhaps got some special treatment. There was still some of that light in Gwen as she struggled with vascular dementia the last few years. She was ever grateful for the familiar faces she saw at Santa Maria, even if she couldn’t remember your name. She was quick to laugh and joke with staff, right until the day before she passed away when she shared a playful knowing wink with one of her caregivers. We want to thank staff and volunteers for all they did for Gwen over the years to make her life easier and familiar. A special thanks to Darlene – your daily visits challenged Gwen to keep moving and keep her mind sharp – and you were a great friend. A Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m., on Saturday, October 19, 2019 at Santa Maria Senior Citizens Home, 4215 Regina Avenue, Regina, SK. A Private Family interment will take place at Memorial Gardens in Regina. Flowers are gratefully declined. Donations in Gwen’s memory may be made to the Alzheimer Society of Saskatchewan or a charity of your choice.

God Bless you mom …. We will all miss you.