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Dolores Aquin had two lives as an adult — a religious life and an educational life.
That’s because Dolores, who was born and grew up on a farm near Fannystelle with her seven sisters and four brothers, became a member of the Les Missionaries Oblates de St. Boniface, or the Missionary Oblate Sisters of the Sacred Heart and of Mary Immaculate, when she was still a teenager in 1956. She wasn’t alone — two of her siblings also became sisters of the order.
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Dolores, who was 88 when she died Dec. 26, was also an educator in the former Transcona-Springfield School Division. Her family says she worked in the division from 1968 until she retired as principal of École Central/Transcona Central School in 1992.
Her obituary is mum about what happened — it says she left the order in 1973. When her mother, Jeanne, died in 1972, all three sisters were still described as religious Sisters in the obituary.
But, like Dolores, all the sisters soon left the order.
Oblate Sister Cecile Fortier explained this week the three joined the order at a time when it was an honour to have a nun in the family.
“The parents wanted them to be nuns, but they didn’t have the call.”
Fortier said Dolores worked as a teacher and continued to teach after leaving the order. She became Central School principal in 1983, and, after retiring, moved to Alberta.
Dolores is survived by three sisters, one brother, and 45 nieces and nephews.
Read more about Dolores.
How They Lived
Alf Skowron was a longtime Winnipeg city councillor.
Alf, who was 93 when he died Jan. 4, was first elected in the Talbot ward in 1971 and re-elected there three years later.
When the size of council was reduced and wards changed, Alf ran in the new ward of Elmwood and was elected four times there before being defeated by Coun. Lillian Thomas in 1989.
He also ran for mayor in 1979, after Robert Steen died, but was defeated by Bill Norrie.
Alf was a member of the NDP but later broke with the party. While a councillor, he was civic environment committee chairman and sat on the board of Winnipeg Enterprises Corporation.
Read more about Alf.
Hester Kroft sat on boards when they were mostly made up of men.
Hester, who died Dec. 15 at the age of 90, was the first woman to be president of the Rady Jewish Community Centre and had leadership positions with the United Way of Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Jewish Community Council.
A junior high school teacher by profession, she also served on the boards of the Mount Carmel Clinic, Villa Rosa and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.
Read more about Hester.
Hugh MacKenzie fought in the Korean War — and never forgot his service or his fellow soldiers.
Hugh, who was 98 when he died Dec. 27, helped found the local Korea Veterans Association and served as president and secretary of the organization.
He also helped raise funds for both the memorial in Brookside Cemetery (for the 49 Manitobans who died during the war) and for a memorial stained glass window at Deer Lodge Centre.
Hugh also volunteered as a district commissioner with the Scouts and Cubs and sat on the board of directors at Deer Lodge as a veteran representative.
Read more about Hugh.
Gunnvör Ásmundsson was a pillar of the province’s Icelandic community.
Gunnvör, who died Dec. 24 at the age of 80, came to Canada from Iceland in 1970 and volunteered with numerous organizations including the Gimli Icelandic Canadian Society.
She served as the 101st Fjallkona at last year’s Icelandic Festival of Manitoba in Gimli.
Read more about Gunnvör.
Victor Enns was a poet.
Victor, who was 70 when he died Dec.9, published his first book of poetry, Jimmy Bang Poems, in 1979.
He went on to publish several other poetry books including A Poem of Pears, Lucky Man, Afghanistan Confessions, and the soon to be published Mein Todesbuch (My Deathbook).
Victor was the executive director of the Manitoba Arts Council for several years, co-founded the Rhubarb literary magazine, and helped found the Manitoba Writers’ Guild.
Read more about Victor.
Myrle Gard was one of only four women accepted into medical school in 1950.
Myrle, who died Dec. 13 at 98 years of age, went on to get a doctorate in medicine, graduate as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Physicians in Anesthesiology, and serve as assistant professor at the University of Manitoba’s faculty of medicine.
She practiced as an anesthesiologist at the Health Sciences Centre, the Women’s Pavilion and the Seven Oaks General Hospital and rode her bicycle to work every summer up until she retired at age 80 in 2007.
Read more about Myrle.
Hugh McMeel had the luck of the Irish when it came to employment.
Hugh, who was 94 when he died Dec. 18, came from Ireland in 1952 and was hired and began working at Canada Packers the next day.
He became active in his union and rose to serve as international representative with the UFCW as well as on the Manitoba Labour Board and the Manitoba Board of Referees for Employment Insurance.
Read more about Hugh.
Yvette Macdonell was born into music.
Yvette, who died Dec. 22 at 93 years of age, was the daughter of a man who played the trombone and was a founding member of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra.
She worked in government, but after her kids came along she taught piano for decades in her home.
Read more about Yvette.
A Life’s Story
Winnipeg and Manitoba lost several prominent citizens last year who made the community better through their contributions.
They included teachers turned politicians Jake Epp, Gerard Lecuyer and Nello Altomare, longtime Brokenhead Ojibway Nation Chief Jim Bear, Manitoba Film and Sound CEO Carole Vivier, and Free Press restaurant critic Marion Warhaft.
Read a bit about each of them.
Until next time, I hope you continue to write your own life’s story.
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