Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on Mt. Rundle’s snow. Do not stand at my grave and cry. I am not there. I did not die.
Obituary
Nora Lee left us peacefully and with her daughters at her side on October 16, 2023. Nora had made it clear to all who would listen that she had no interest in leaving so soon, but apparently the universe decided that 83 times around the sun was perfect for her.
Nora was strong, she was resilient… stubborn (just ask us), resourceful. Kind-hearted. And missed terribly.
She was a Canmore baby – she grew up seeing the famed ‘3 Sisters’ outside her door every morning when leaving for school. But her need for adventure soon exceeded her desire to stay in her small, coal mining hometown – and she left to discover the bigger world while she was still in her teens… and discover she did! She travelled to the west coast, to the Yukon, and eventually she set about raising her 3 daughters – the ‘3 sisters’ – in Toronto. A stay-at-home mom dedicated to her girls, and a good friend to so many that stayed connected with her for decades…
Nora was a gambler too - picking racehorses by the color of the rider’s silks, hoping for ‘B14’ at bingo! An avid reader, a published poet, a crochet wizard. A curler and a dart player and the partner you wanted to have at crib.
Yes, Mom’s talents were many, not the least of which were her culinary skills. She left with the secret of her trifle, her cheesecake, and those damn good cabbage rolls to be forever known to only her. Her famous not-to-be-missed Grey Cup parties and the Christmas feasts – always open to all that cared to join - were legendary. And her green thumb was such that she could bring any plant her daughters were annihilating back to life in short order!
Nora’s love of people was evident in the way she interacted with her coworkers and her customers throughout her careers. She had so much fun and had so many memories as a cocktail waitress in the Yukon and then in Calgary, she was a successful co-owner of a trendy nightclub in Vancouver, and ultimately she found her true calling with Canada Post in Calgary. For 20 years she worked hard, and had the love and respect of her beloved posties… and so many of them have reached out to us to tell us so. Thank you all for that. That has given us great pride and solace too…
But more than anything – she was a truly loving Nana, an irreplaceable GG … one that was always supportive of them and made lemon zest pancakes for them and took their inquisitive minds to the Glenbow. And she got 7 precious years with her beloved great-granddaughter, and Maysa got 7 precious years with her GG…
Nora is survived by her daughters Pam, Terry and Tracy (August), her grandchildren Alicia (Chris) and Chase, and her great granddaughter, Maysa. She also leaves her sister-in-law, Joyce and many many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her mother, Alice; father, Leonard and her brother, Jim.
Mom wanted no service… she wanted no Celebration of her Life. And we will respect that. But she probably never realized how many of the people she touched would celebrate her anyway…
Rest well Mom.
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We stopped first at the "Hoodoo Cemetery" where Granny Alice and Grandpa Leonard are resting. I recounted stories of my dad's upbringing with his family while we compared parallels between the lives of those past and personal experience.
Then we ventured up the spray lakes road to visit with Auntie Nora on the shoulder between the mountains. We scaled the trailhead to find the memorial plaque and witness the majestic location where Nora is resting. The serene and stark beauty of the site was stirring. Plus, the knowledge that she will always be there for us to visit are formative for both my son and I.
May you forever be at peace Auntie. ~Ray
Love Terry - daughter number two
"If every single person who has liked you in your lifetime were to light up on a map, it would create an amazingly beautiful network to see. Throw in the strangers you've been kind to, the people you've made laugh, the people you have inspired along the way and that star-bright network of you would be an impressive sight to behold. You were so much more than you thought you were. You have done so much more than you realized. You created a bright pathway that you didn't even know about."
And that? What a thing. What a thing indeed.
Adapted from the writing of Donna Ashworth
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