Jan 8, 1930 - Mar 22, 2018
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Gloria Helen Mae Timmings (nee Bunch) at the age of 88. She is survived by her brother Gary and her loving children David, Robert (Carol), Mark (Jean-Francois) and Carolyn (Gerald); her grandchildren, Rebecca (Jeff), Melissa (Andrew), Caitlyn (Jonathan), Brendan (Madison), Sarah (Jonathan), Brittany (Steven) and Connor (Victoria); and her great-grandchildren, Kaylee, Hadley and Jace.
Gloria was born in Toronto. During the turbulent years of World War II, her father Adam Bunch joined the war effort and was sent to Europe as a soldier. Her mother Margaret took employment as a 'bomb girl' at a munitions factory. As a result, Gloria, at a young age, was left with the responsibility of raising her younger brothers William, Terry and Gary.
In 1949, at age 19, she married her childhood sweetheart Sydney Timmings and started a family of her own. In 1966, they moved to a farm near Orangeville, Ontario. She provided her four children with a home filled to the brim with love. In 1978, at age 50, Gloria made a change in her life. She moved to Vancouver, returned to school and took a job as office manager at Ragnar Jewellers. She spent many happy years on the west coast, continuing to play an active role in the lives of her children and grandchildren.
These years were shared with her companion and soul mate Peter Hobson. They attended St. Mark's Anglican Church in White Rock and volunteered for numerous charities. Gloria billeted students and women from around the world, offering them home away from home. She also travelled herself. There were many exciting road trips with Peter, until his death in 2010.
Despite living her final years with Alzheimer's disease, Gloria remained loving, kind and generous. She touched and inspired the lives of her family, caregivers and the people around her with her sense of humour and wit. She has left us all with a warm, glowing fire in our hearts. She will be sorely missed.
No funeral service. Following Gloria's request, a private family celebration of her life will be held on Saturna Island at a later date.
In honour of her memory, donations can be made to the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia.