Obituary of Inger Lis Gordon

Inger Lis Gordon beloved wife of David Wellington Gordon of Kelowna, BC passed away in Calgary, on Friday, January 9, 2009 at the age of 77 years. Inger Lis was born on October 25, 1931 in Horsens, Denmark, to Rasmus Andreas Dam and Barbara Marie Dam (nee Andreasen). Inger Lis was the youngest of three siblings. Inger Lis immigrated to Canada in 1952 and worked and lived in Calgary and Yellowknife, where she met David. They married on October 14, 1956, and David’s job with the Department of Transport with the Federal Government took them throughout northern Canada, including stays in Whitehorse, Teslin, and Lac La Barge. David and Inger Lis settled in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and finally Calgary in 1970 when raising their family. She went to the University of Calgary at the age of 40, eventually completing her Masters of Education and going on to teach for twenty years for the Calgary Board of Education before retiring at the age of 65. She was known for riding her bicycle to work in her sixties, and continued an active lifestyle with her friends at the Eau Claire YMCA after retiring. She filled her family’s and friends’ homes over the years with handmade quilts, sweaters, cross-stitch pictures, and hand-woven placemats, tea towels and runners from her loom, some using hand spun wool from her spinning wheel. Inger Lis had a great love of reading and together with David she was always collecting books by her favourite authors. Inger Lis had her favourite vacation places, including Ferintosh where she cultivated Virginia creepers and Hollyhocks all over a tiny family cottage, Kelowna, staying in the Little Hiawatha campground by the lake, and the trips she made back to Denmark in later years to visit her brothers and old friends. Inger Lis was outspoken from when she was a child in occupied Denmark, to when she worked in 1975 on the Canadian Council for International Women’s Year. She was a tremendous role model for the lessons of equality, hard work, and a pragmatic and honest way of life. Whether as a wife, mother, teacher, employer or friend, she touched us with an open and frank heart. She will be missed. Besides her loving husband David, Inger Lis is survived by her daughters, Maureen and Karen (Bill); her son John (Karla); and her seven grandchildren. She leaves behind brothers Robert Dam (Ella) and Carl Johan Dam (Traudi), both residing in Denmark. In memory of Inger Lis, a private family service will be held. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. In living memory of Inger Lis Gordon, 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