In writing this capsule life history of my loving wife, Marilyn, I Dan
Nazar, know that a life so distinct as hers, cannot be captured adequately
in mere words. Her actions, not all overt, reflected her calm demeanour
and collectedness, as well as an inner acceptance and patience or peace.

Marilyn was born on March 13, 1948. She was the second child of three and
the only daughter of Gordon and Beatrice Stanley.

She was pre-deceased by her parents and her older brother Keith and his wife
Shelagh. Their son Kevin remains.

Her younger brother, Barry Stanley and his wife Emmie remain to cherish
Marilyn’s memory. Their son, Ryan Stanley and his wife Jenna and daughter,
Elizabeth also remain. Barry and Emmie’s daughter, Rosalee Richardson, her
husband Ryan and children Riley, Lacey and Eve also remain.
Marilyn’s uncle Les Goddard also remains; his wife Mary pre-deceased
Marilyn.

Their daughter, Jane remains, as does Les and Mary’s son Clint Goddard and wife
Janet and their two daughters, Sarah and Hannah. Two sons Bruce, deceased; his
wife Lynda remains. And Michael with his wife Doris remain.

Marilyn’s aunt Shirley Riddell and her husband Bob pre-deceased Marilyn also.
Their children, Janet, Bob, Jerry and Brian, remain with their respective families.
Janet, and her children, James and Clare, live in England. Bob and his wife Lauren
with their children Jenny, Rachel and Abbey all remain. Jerry and Anita also remain
as well as their children, Paul, Steven and Lindsay. And so also do Brian, his wife
Wendy and Brian’s daughter Lea.

I, and my two children, remain, grieving and cherishing a beautiful life which now
continues on the other side of death. Our son, Peter; and our daughter, Jane
Emberly and her husband Brad and their two children Cole and Hayley miss their
mother and grannie, Marilyn.

Also left to cherish Marilyn’s memory are my sister, Patricia Affleck and her
two children Rob Piper and Lorrie Lynn Libis (Piper).

My middle sister Audrey Collins is deceased. Her husband is Dave.
Their daughter Sherri-Dawn and child are also both deceased. Audrey’s other three
children remain: Corinna, Bradley and Jason, remain with their respective families.
My sister Alexandria, the youngest of my three sisters, remains alone; her
husband Ted and their only son Gregory are both deceased.

Marilyn was baptized at St. Alban’s Anglican Church in the city of Winnipeg,
where she grew up. She received her elementary education at Lord Roberts School;
and got her secondary diploma from Churchill High School.

Marilyn attended all her Sunday school formation at St. Albans. She was active
in Girl Guides for several years. She learned to do sewing in her youth, as she had
quite an influence for it around her; her mother did sew as necessity dictated, and
Marilyn’s auntie, Shirley, was quite an accomplished seamstress.

Marilyn also did quite a bit of swimming in her youth. She attained her
instructors level as well as her lifeguard certification. She taught swimming lessons
and guarded in various city pools, cycling to the Sherbrook Pool and back home to
Jubilee Avenue daily. Marilyn lifeguarded at the Canoe Club during and after high
school.

She took several Home Economics courses at the U of M and then went on to
the University of Brandon Teachers’ College, attaining her Permanent Professional
Certificate.

Marilyn began her teaching career in the Frontier School Division, with an
elementary position at Bloodvein Reserve. She taught there for one year and then
transferred to Berens River School where she met her future husband. She
resigned at the end of the ’72 - ’73 school year and went back to Winnipeg
staying with her parents. She returned to Berens River in the winter of ’73 after
the Christmas break as my wife. Mrs. Marilyn Nazar then did subbing and term
teaching for the two years that followed. The marriage had taken place at St.
Albans Anglican Church in Winnipeg on December 29, 1973 during Christmas
holidays.

After two more years in Berens River, Marilyn embarked upon a new venue for
six years in the mining town of Snow Lake, MB. Marilyn taught elementary, taking
time off to have our children. She also developed a liking for ceramics adorning
home and yard with her creations.

The Eyvindsons, the Reids, the Malcolms and the Smalls were four families,
along with a few others, that we spent a lot of time with in Snow Lake. We all had
most of our children at the same time and participated in community events
together. Having our wives and children sent to safety while we stayed back for
firefighting purposes was one event of major import.

After Snow Lake, Marilyn moved to Lundar where I taught for a year and then
resigned my position. Marilyn obtained the position of a House Parent for a girls’
residence in Teulon, MB. I stayed with her and helped her somewhat for the first
year. During Marilyn’s second year as House Parent, I stayed in the teachers’
residence at Sandy Bay Reserve, near Amaranth, MB. Marilyn followed me the
next year where we lived in the Lakeland area, near Langruth. Marilyn taught in
Langruth for many happy years, while I taught at Sandy Bay School not very far
away.

Marilyn continued with ceramics at the home of Bud and Rose Carrière. She
did many miles of walking, most of it being with her friend and close neighbour,
Doris Moffat and their dog, Tippy.

After retiring from teaching, Marilyn then embarked upon a ten year adventure
in Home Care. This brought us from Lakeland to the modular home park in Sanford.
From there we moved to Headingley.

It was during this phase of our lives that we started going to Our Lady of
Perpetual Help. We had visited this parish a few times when we travelled from
Langruth to Collège Saint-Boniface for Français Oral (Oral French). On winter
weekends and during three consecutive years during summer holidays we ventured
to Winnipeg trying to get a grasp of that Romance language. After visiting several
churches on these occasions, we both decided, unequivocally, that Our Lady of
Perpetual Help was the one choice we liked best. After a couple of years of
attending this church as our parish, Marilyn herself, decided to embrace the
Catholic faith and entered the Right of Christian Initiation of Adults. Marilyn taught
Catechism (religious education) to children for a few years, but then she felt that it
was too much for herself and retired from teaching , once again.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish also afforded us the pleasure and privilege
of being recruited into Couples for Christ. Originally, a Catholic faith formation
movement in the Philippines, it now spans the globe and has official status with,
and an office in, the Vatican. Marilyn enjoyed the Filipino cultural influence, which
was simply due to the Filipino majority in the organization. The Filipino language
was another collateral blessing, for the same reason mentioned above. It was not a
mastery of, but an exposure to the language and customs . Even though I took one
introductory course in Filipino, it is an arduous endeavour to become conversant in
the language.

And, although we were not in touch for more than two years due to the global
Covid-19 pandemics and Marilyn’s condition, the Couples for Christ brothers and
sisters found out what had befallen Marilyn, contacted me and we were in the midst
of a novena (nine days) of prayers for the repose of Marilyn’s soul; a God-send of
charitable good works. Many thanks to and blessings upon Bro. Ador and Sis.
Vicky Cabrera, and to Bro, Vincent and Sis. Ermilinda Lopez for making the time to
enact this heartfelt act of Christian love.

It was after a couple of years in Headingley, at first unnoticed, that Marilyn
had been victim to some of the initial signs of Alzheimer’s.
Home Care personnel, some of whom Marilyn worked with, began assisting her.
As Marilyn grew more dependent upon help for her condition, the care increased.
Falling and breaking her hip was the beginning of her needing a full care facility.
After hip replacement at The Grace Hospital, a second fall in Portage Hospital,
resulting in the re-breaking of the same hip and a second surgery by a specialist
was successful; however, all taking a great toll on Marilyn considering the
condition that was plaguing her. She was then transferred to Gladstone Hospital
while waiting for personal care home placement.. After a little more than a month in
Gladstone, Marilyn was accepted into West Park Manor Personal Care Home on
Grant Avenue, in Winnipeg.
It was here that Marilyn was to spend her last days.

And so, engaged in a long, arduous battle with Alzheimer’s since her initial
diagnosis of ‘mild cognitive disorder,’ in May of 2017, Marilyn struggled hard
to ward off the enduring and relentless effects of confusion and the
deterioration of her natural motor abilities.

Early Sunday morning, at 3: 20 AM, on May 22nd, I, was called to
West Park Manor Care Home by the charge nurse on 2 East. I stayed with
my loving wife of forty-eight and a half years until her passing from this world
to the next, at 5:10 A. M. that same Sunday morning.
I bid her ‘good-bye’, dedicating her to God, and asking Jesus to accept
her as he did the repentant thief on the crocs, if it be his will.
(The etymology of good-bye is from late 16th century English: God-be-with-you.)
A few days earlier, Msgr. Maurice Comeault, Pastor of Our Lady of
Perpetual Help Parish, had visited Marilyn. Expressing his charitable
compassion and embracing Catholic Tradition, he blessed Marilyn, anointed
her, and absolved her of all her sins in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Further to this are the many care givers, deserving of gratitude, for their
dedicated service to Marilyn, and many other thoughtful, concerned friends.
Laurel Mitchell, the Home Care co-ordinator working out of the Starbuck
office helped us tremendously with this new challenge facing Marilyn and her
family. The Home Care workers, too many to mention now, are to be
commended for their care and support.
The Portage la Prairie hospital staff were great.
The surgeons at the Grace Hospital were wonderful and down to earth.
The staff at the Gladstone District Hospital gave us invaluable support.
West Park Manor in Winnipeg was incomparable. If not the best care
home in Winnipeg, it certainly ranks among the top few, as Marilyn
experienced. Their mission includes providing holistic long-term care in a
Christ-like manner. And their vision includes being known as the preferred
long term care facility.

Thanks to Social Worker Garth Caddoo, the charge nurse for 2 - East,
Lauralee and all the nurses, and care workers, West Park surely fulfills their
Vision and Mission Statements. Also, many thanks to Ruben Wollmann, and
his administrative department, who helped us patiently, during Marilyn’s initial
stay at West Park Manor.

Sincere gratitude also goes to those whom have called, sent cards, and
emails with prayers for Marilyn and for her family and with mass intentions.
Brother Knight Bill Grassick, on behalf of the Knights of Columbus phoned
us as well. Earlier, during the pandemic he phoned a number of times to see
how things were going, with an offers of help for anything that was needed.
Later on, he called me with condolences from the Knights.

Job demanded why of God. God answered without any maybes.
Many things befall us throughout life. Much of it is beyond our control.
Most of it is inexplicable. Moreover, by the grace of God, more and more
seems to fall into place. Manifest are the miracles moving mankind.

Marilyn remains in a myriad of memories.

A Memorial Mass will take place on Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 11:00 a.m., at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 4588 Roblin Boulevard, with Msgr. Maurice Comeault officiating.

For those unable to join us at the church, please know it will be live streamed. Livestreaming information can be obtained by contacting the church.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you please send a donation to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba in honour of Marilyn.