Obituary of Eileen Marjorie Wiegand

WIEGAND, EILEEN MARJORIE      

(January 11, 1925-June 22, 2019)

Eileen Wiegand passed away on Saturday, June 22, 2019 at West Park Manor Personal Care Home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  She was predeceased by her loving husband, Donald, her parents, John Wellington Scott and D. Annie Dickson, her brother Doug Scott and sister-in-law Shirley, and Don’s brother and sister-in-law Bruce and Mary-Beth Wiegand.  Eileen is survived by her son Murray (Nancy), grandsons Ray (Kirsty) and Karl (Danielle) and great-granddaughter Charlotte, and several nieces, nephews, their spouses and children.  Eileen was a resident of Kitchener-Waterloo from birth on January 11, 1925 until she moved to Winnipeg in November, 2017 to be closer to family. 

Eileen was a graduate of Kitchener-Waterloo Collegiate and Vocational School and Waterloo College (1946).  She met Don in May, 1942 and they were married on November 20, 1948.  She was a life-long member of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Kitchener, and active in the WMS.  She worked at the Waterloo Trust Company before she was married. In 1960 she began her career at the University of Waterloo Library where she worked for a few years before moving to the University of Guelph, from which she retired in January, 1990.   In their retirement years, Eileen and Don enjoyed concerts, the theatre and especially their many cruises to various parts of the world.  She was also an avid bridge player and a member of several bridge clubs over the years.  She also had a lengthy involvement with the Girl Guides of Canada.  She read extensively, mostly mysteries and historical fiction, and was keenly interested in the world around her.

Eileen was a moral compass for the family.  She was always concerned about doing the right thing and had firm standards of right and wrong.  Don and Murray were occasionally advised, unambiguously, of the results of her deliberations.  She valued hard work, dedication and behaving with integrity; she was quick with a compliment when she saw the results.  She emphasized the importance of listening to those who had a different point of view before making a decision.  She coupled those attributes with a fine sense of humour, an ability to laugh at herself and a very quick wit.  She made friends easily, and genuinely liked other people. 

After almost 49 years in the family home in Kitchener, she and Don moved to Waterloo Heights Retirement Apartments and in 2015, after a bad fall, she moved to the Sunshine Centre at Luther Village.  She was very grateful to the staff at both Waterloo Heights and Luther Village for their service and compassion throughout her stays in those facilities.  She enjoyed the company of life-long and new friends in each residence.  Warm Embrace Elder Care provided excellent additional care for Eileen at the Sunshine Centre.

When she moved to Winnipeg, she initially knew no one at her residence. She quickly made friends with other residents and staff who adored her.  Since January of this year, she received additional care from Home Instead Senior Care, whose personnel loved working with Eileen; she knew the importance of saying “thank you.”  The family wishes to thank Cancer Care Manitoba, Oral Pathology at University of Manitoba, Palliative Care Manitoba, Drs. John Perry and Julie Kickbush, and the many other medical and dental staff who provided highly competent care and showed compassion to Eileen during her difficult days. 

Funeral services will be held at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 54 Queen St. N., Kitchener, ON, N2H 2H2 on Wednesday, 10 July at 2:00 PM, with a reception to follow.  Visitation will be at Erb and Good Family Funeral Home, 171 King Street South, Waterloo, ON N2J 1P7 on Tuesday, 09 July from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.  Should family and friends desire, donations to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Kitchener, Lutherwood Foundation, Cancer Care Manitoba or the charity of your choice, would be appreciated and may be arranged through the funeral home www.erbgood.com or 519-745-8445.