Obituary of SHORT – Theresa Emerald

February 6, 1927 – January 9, 2011 Held lovingly in the arms of her family; while leaning gently up against the cheek of God; our beautiful, beautiful Mother went to a higher ground to live on forever with her daughter Corinne. Her last words spoken: “I love ALL of my children EQUALLY…including my “adopted” children…don’t be sad for me…do not cry for me”. On March 6th, 2000 mom lost her first born daughter Corinne, a pain so great our mother’s heart never healed…Mom your suffering is over…you are finally at rest… If you did not know Terry Short it was a gap in your education. She was always true to herself, she made no excuses and she answered to nobody. Fiercely independent, Terry worked hard all of her life to provide for her family. She held an above average I.Q. with a keen business sense she began her career when only 35% of the workforce were women. She enjoyed a very successful career as a professional waitress working at all of the high end establishments in Calgary’s downtown core. The hi-lites of her career included serving the first meal out of the Calgary Tower on Canada’s Centennial Birthday and she poured a cup of tea for the Queen at Calgary’s Fairmont Palliser Hotel. So she could spend more time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren she stopped waitressing at the age of 73, (still insisting she was 37). Mom said that it takes not only true love but a “village to raise a child” so she took great joy in helping to raise her great grandchildren Tyler and Cassidy Smolley. From the time of their birth until the moment she died these two dear children kept her heart full of love and happiness. Our Mother proved to her family that success only comes with hard work; leading by example Mom never retired, she continued working with passion: wine making, beading, knitting, gourmet cooking, bike riding, river rafting, gardening and dried flower art. Her family shares memories of weekend champagne brunches, with scratch blueberry muffins. If she had penned an autobiography for the benefit of those who knew, or thought they knew, the amazing story of this incredible, kind and generous woman’s life would surely have been a bestseller. This beautiful, extra-ordinary, kind and wonderful woman will remain in the hearts of her family forever (her son Robert (Bob) Short (Lorelie) and daughters Barbara “Rose” LeClaire, Norma “Jeanne” Blais, Linda “Linny” LeClaire (Roger Leader), Ruth Taylor and Kathy Rondeau; grandchildren Doug, Elizabeth, Rob, John, Mike and Tanner Short; Cash and Lorianne Reuser, Bruce, Wayne and Michelle Hiebert, Trina and Brian Blais and twenty two great grandchildren. She made a difference to so many lives and she was loved “lots” by many. She will be missed deeply by her special friends Marg Natyshen, Ruth Minnis and Susan Kalancha. The family feels grateful for the true love that her caregiver, Timothy Zak, held for her; Mom loved you too Tim! Thank you as well to the staff at Hillcrest Nursing home, especially Sally, Dr. Sam, Sook, Pat, Norallyn and Camelia…we sincerely appreciate that you treated our Mom like the Queen that you thought she was. Mom we love you soooooo much; we know how tired you were and we are all at peace knowing that, although you are no longer with us physically, you still inspire us, and you will always, always look out for us by giving us “the treatment”. A Celebration of Terry’s Life will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Park Memorial Chapel (5008 Elbow Drive S.W.) on Saturday, January 15, 2011 at 10:00 a.m. all are invited to express their love and bask in the light of this remarkable woman’s life. She was and always will be a very special person on the face of this earth. The 3 little kittens have lost their mittens. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. Sincere thanks for the kindness and compassion as demonstrated by Unit 61 of the Foothills Hospital during Moms last days.