Mom (known to most of you as Kay) died June 16, 2015 at an extended care home, The Good Samaritan Hillside Village in Salmon Arm. She had a variety of ailments which first put her in extended care 13 years ago (fibromyalgia, severe arthritis, heart disease), but her strong Scottish will kept her going, as she recently sang on her 80th birthday 3 weeks ago.
She was born on June 2nd 1935 in Edinburgh Scotland and was the eldest daughter of the Rev John Symington and Jessie (Gyp) Symington, of Dumfries, Scotland.
She graduated from Hutcheson’s Girls Grammar School in Glasgow and trained as a nurse and midwife at the Deaconess Hospital in Edinburgh.
Mom had the travel bug, going to exotic locations in Europe, then ultimately to the United States and Canada, where she worked as a nurse. Somehow she ended up in Lillooet BC, meeting a handsome, dancing rancher (Dad). The next thing you know she was married, pregnant , and raising 3 sons on the Jones Ranch at Texas Creek Road in Lillooet.
She worked full time as a nurse in Lillooet, delivered many a baby, was the one who took care of all the injured sons/cousins at the farm, cleaned the house, cooked most of the meals, was the primary breadwinner, dealt with farm family dynamics and supported dad in politics/school board/golf course.
You can see why she enjoyed her glass of wine and cigarettes.
Mom loved music and dance and was a fan of Broadway musicals such as My Fair Lady and Carousel; she was often singing while in care, knowing most of the church songs by heart.
I’ll always remember her thick Scottish accent, telling us boys to get ‘ooot’, along with her desire that we don’t choose farming as a profession ( 1 out of 3 ain’t bad.. )
She was a good Mom, who we could always count on to be there, probably under appreciated, and not deserving of all her medical challenges, but sometimes life is like that.
She is survived by her younger brother David who lives in Gray Creek BC and by her three sons, Andrew, Michael and Ian and by many grandchildren, all of whom live in BC.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday June 27th, at First United Church, 450 Okanagan Avenue SE Salmon Arm BC at 1PM. In lieu of flowers donations to the Chronic Pain Association of Canada (http://chronicpaincanada.com/get_involved/donate ) would be most appreciated.