Obituary of Nancy Anne Charland

For Courage Never Lost. How could the very words for which she had such a knack fall so short of making tangible what Nancy meant to so many? How could someone who had been through so much still make, truly make, her incredible, invincible life? How could someone with her indomitable, stubborn will never fail to give back all the world? Nancy is predeceased by her brother Ralph and father Ralph King. To those who now follow as she passes on, she is the world. To her son, Ben, she gave the world. To her mother, Ada Hole, she is sometimes the rebel, never the quitter, always the ace. To her brother, Harry (Darlene) Hole, and sisters Laurie (Dave) Boadway, Jane (Jim) Hodgson and Judy (Rob) Henderson, and sister-in-law Becky Hole, she is the unbelievable yet undeniable example, the stalwart spirit, the wicked wit. To many cousins, the smartest; her aunts and uncles, the funniest. To countless friends from work, school and good times gone past she is the trickster, the deservedly yet quietly popular, the absolute best person to be around. To caregivers of recent and long memory she is the wilful, the tireless, the remarkable, the kind. And to numerous nieces and nephews she is quite simply the coolest. Perhaps why we all feel the world is so much smaller now is because she is no longer here to unfurl it with her legendary, almost outlandish, generosity. Perhaps why so many tears are shed in sadness is because she gave us so many in laughter; the kind of laughter that comes from deep within, the kind that acknowledges some truth has been spoken, the kind that seeks without reservation to understand. It is the kind of laughter as rare as Nancy herself, yet so common in her midst. These words fail so miserably because with Nancy each and every person, be they seven or seventy, felt unique, respected and loved; with Nancy we all felt not like who we ought to be, or were, or could be, but who we are. Because, if anything, Nancy refused to be anything but herself. For this and the infinite column of things which etch her so deeply within us, she deserved nothing less but to pass peacefully, in the comfort of the home she made so indelibly hers. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Andrew’s Anglican Church (1611 St. Andrew’s Place N.W., Calgary, AB) on Monday, June 1, 2009 at 2:00 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire donations may be made to the Calgary Handi-Bus Association, 231 – 37th Avenue N.E., Calgary, AB T2E 8J2 Telephone: (403) 276-8028. In living memory of Nancy Charland, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Telephone: (403) 243-8200.