It’s with a heavy heart to announce the passing of my mother, Velma. She passed peacefully with her eldest daughter and granddaughter at her bedside the early afternoon of March 17 after a battle with mixed Dementia and Alzheimer’s at the age of 70 in Fort McMurray, Alberta.

For anyone who had the pleasure of knowing her, you knew if you were in her circle she considered you family as she kept her circle small! Mom was a simple woman who enjoyed a simple life, she didn’t care about the latest fashion, only bought things on sale and loved a good thrift find. If she had to get somewhere she did it by foot and she enjoyed her long daily walks, unless you were driving, then she enjoyed being a passenger princess!

You’d often find her sipping coffee at Tim’s, people watching, spending time with her grandkids or curled up watching a marathon of movies with her favourite snacks. As mentioned, her pride and joy were her grandkids with whom she enjoyed chatting over coffee, walking the local mall with or simply watching them enjoy the activities they loved.

To say mom was passionate was an understatement and if she felt strongly about something she was often quick to share her opinion even if you didn’t ask for it! Her sense of humour was dry, and she cussed like a sailor, but she was definitely the take it or leave it type.

She didn’t make friends easily but the ones she made were lifelong friendships to say the least.  

She didn’t do extraordinary things, but she left an impact wherever she went!

She was tough as nails, but if you were fortunate enough to see her soft side you were definitely one of her favourites! As for accomplishments she lived in 3 provinces NB, NS and AB, she travelled by plane and got to see both the east and west coasts, she visited the largest mall in North America and saw comedy shows, tried different cuisines but always reverted back to KFC, she liked bingo, Yahtzee and was a chicken wing connoisseur

Predeceased by both parents, Estella Johnson Leslie and Aubrey Leslie

She is survived by her Eldest Daughter, Kerry West and her partner, Ryan Hepditch; Granddaughter, Jai-Lynn, Cali and Ryder; Daughter, Crista Wood, husband Donnie Wood; three Grandsons, Devon, Cohen and Braydon as well as her Brothers, several Nieces, Nephews, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins and the Friends she considered her family

Mom was a proud woman and didn’t want anyone to see her as ill or to pity her so she kept her health private and I respected her wishes, although she struggled with mixed dementia and Alzheimer’s being  recently been diagnosed, she took it in stride and I got to see a softer more vulnerable side of my mom over the past two years with whom I grew close to and came to understand when she relied on me to help her navigate what often confused her

A Celebration of Life will take place through a streaming platform, and private invitations are expected to go out within the next 24 hours.

Velma will be travelling one last time with me on a plane to the east coast where her ashes will be laid to rest at some point in the future.

Donations can be made in her memory to the Alberta and Northwest Territories Alzheimer’s Society