Obituary of Alma Frances Cameron

Alma Frances Cameron passed away on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 at the age of 94 years. Alma was born in High River, AB, she attended the Calgary Normal School and taught near High River and Coaldale before embarking on an adventure“to see the Taj Mahal by moonlight”. She took a teaching position with an American boarding school at Kodaikanal, a hill station in South India, where, in 1942, she met and married James W. Cameron of Calgary. James was helping to build India’s first aluminum smelter as part of the war effort. After living happily in Kerala state in South India for five years, they moved to Calcutta. In all, Jim and Alma spent fifteen wonderful years in India, where they made lifelong friends before returning to Canada. They lived in Montreal and Shawinigan, QC for the next twenty-two years and traveled the world; but they yearned to return to the west which they did after Jim’s retirement from Alcan. Alma was active in establishing the Montreal Association for the Mentally Handicapped and worked as a volunteer for many years at their Mini-Budget thrift store in Verdun. She was also very active in the Mount Royal United Church in Montreal and later at the Wesley United Church and Wesley Christian Church in Calgary. Alma volunteered at the In-Definite Arts Society of Calgary as a support to Jane and later took Jim’s place on the Board of Directors. Together Alma and Jim enjoyed many happy visits to see old Montreal friends at their condo in Victoria, BC and to the Hawaiiana in Waikiki, HI where wonderful friendships were made. Alma is survived by her children, Susan and James (Jr.); “adopted daughters” and great friends, Carol Petersen, Charmaine Arcand, and Linda Freiberg; along with numerous nieces and nephews and many friends around the world. Alma was predeceased by her older sisters Eunice Samis, on July 29, 2008, and Reta Brown in 1968; her “Sunshine” oldest daughter Frances Jane in 2000 (Jane’s art lives on at janecameron.com); and her beloved husband Jim in 1997. In 1999 Alma returned to India for the last time to see many dear old friends and scatter some of Jim’s ashes at Coaker’s Walk in Kodaikanal (the scene of their first kiss) and at their first home in Alupurum, Alwaye in Kerala. Alma passed away on Jim’s birthday, on the eleventh anniversary of his funeral. Funeral Services will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S, Park Memorial Chapel (5008 Elbow Drive S.W.) on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 2:30 p.m. Forward condolences through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to Operation Eyesight Universal, 4 Parkdale Crescent N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 3T8 Telephone: (403) 283-6323, www.operationeyesight.ca. In living memory of Alma Cameron, 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.