Edith Violet Kendall

Edith Kendall passed away on Thursday, October 22, 2020 at the age of 95 years.

Edith was predeceased by her husband Ronald “Bub” Kendall June 23, 2010. Throughout their years together, Edith and Ron were affectionately known as “Bub” and “Sis”.

Edith is survived by their four children: Angeline Webb (John) of Tauranga, New Zealand, E. John Kendall (Rei) of Temple View, Hamilton, Ron Kendall (Jacquie) of Airdrie and Linda Hay (Sonny) of Calgary. She is also survived by ten grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren. Edith is survived by one brother John McCormack (June) of Wattle Down, Auckland, New Zealand.

As well as her husband Ron, Edith is predeceased by her three sisters June Knapp, Maureen McCormack and Audrey Milne.

Edith was born and raised in beautiful Wanganui, New Zealand. When she was sixteen years old, her grandfather took her to a dance where she stole a handsome young man’s heart named Ronald Kendall. By the age of 17, she was married and together they raised their little family, the perfect blend, two boys and two girls. In 1960, the family developed a deep faith and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their membership in the Church enriched their lives and was a source of joy and strength. In 1964, they moved to Temple View in Hamilton, New Zealand where Edith managed the motel that welcomed guests who came from all over New Zealand and the Pacific Islands to visit the temple. In 1969, ever the adventurer, Ron and Edith made the bold decision to immigrate to Calgary, Alberta, Canada and with their youngest in tow, Linda, who was now 21 years, they took the long boat ride to a foreign land that they ended up calling home, where they lived out their days. They put down their roots in Acadia where they managed the Highland Estate condominiums for many years and ran a successful cleaning company named Kendall’s Cleaning Services. They briefly left Calgary for a few months and headed to Vancouver only to return back home to Acadia where they lived on Academy Drive for 33 years.

During these years Edith made many friends and if you were her friend, you had her heart. Edith loved her friends as fiercely as she loved her family. She was a great entertainer and an amazing cook. It was your lucky day if you got to sit at her table and enjoy the deliciousness that was placed in front of you. Even better, was knowing that anytime you went to her home, her tins were always filled with perfectly cut out cookies and squares that rivaled any bakers. In her presence you were sure to hear her whistle or sing a tune and you were always sure to get a hug. In fact, as soon as she saw you, a big smile would radiate across her face like she hadn’t seen you in years followed by a big hug as if you were the most important person in the room, and her goodbye hug was like it was the last time she was going to see you. You could be sure that she was not going to be the first person that stopped hugging.

A talented knitter, there were many babies and children throughout generations who wore Edith’s creations. She made the best cardigans, blankets, booties and hats. It was like wearing a hug from Auntie Edie. Each creation was made from love.

Edie was fascinated in researching her family history. She had a great love of finding out about her ancestors and sharing and documenting what she found. She could also hit a mean golf ball and could often be seen with her friends at Lakeview Golf Course. She got to share her love of golf with her husband Ron and during their early retirement years they spent endless days golfing and camping in the US.

Edie got to go on so many adventures. Trips back and forth to New Zealand, epic road trips across the US and even driving into Tijuana. But no holidays were as special to her as the ones she got to spend with friends and family that were close to home. During these times, she would let loose. She was a great story teller, a prankster who could take a joke herself and she was never without her contagious smile and laugh. At night around the table, she was a shrewd card player and things got serious. She was a delight to watch and she was an absolute hoot to play with.

But alas, time has gone too fast. Age can seem cruel, but when times got tough, Edie got tougher. When the love of her life got dementia, she stuck beside him every step of the way. Even though her body was aging and getting more frail, it did not stop her from visiting Ron everyday in the hospital. She started off annoying all the nurses at the hospital, but ended up earning their love and admiration. She showed everybody what true love means. When he left this life, she should have been exhausted and let someone take care of her, but instead she remained defiantly independent. She found it hard to accept the care that she found so natural to give to others. Eventually, dementia grabbed a hold of Edie too and she ended up going reluctantly into a care facility. Of course, they fell in love with her too. She stayed there until she closed her eyes for the last time in this life and the veil was lifted into the next.

There can be no doubt that when she arrived on the other side, all who loved her were waiting and rejoicing and the Savior welcomed her with open arms telling her “you’ve served me well my little child, come unto my arms to stay”.

Till we meet again “Sis”.

A Funeral Service will be held for Edith at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Willow Park Chapel, 940 Acadia Drive SE, Calgary, on Tuesday, October 27, 2020 at 11:00 am.The service will be broadcast live through Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85245350885. Relatives and friends are also invited to pay their respects at Pierson’s Funeral Home, 4121 – 17 Avenue SE on Monday, October 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Messages of condolence may be forwarded to the family at www.piersons.ca

.