Obituary of Adela (Della) Marie TWIDALE (nee Barrie)

September 9, 1931– Mandalay, Burma
September 14, 2020 – Calgary, Alberta

Adela Twidale of Calgary, AB, slipped away from us on Monday, September 14, 2020 at the age of 89 years after a long and eventful life.

She was born in Mandalay, Burma but lived in many different places because her father was in the civil service.  Della came of age in Dacca, East Pakistan, where she had a long line of suitors competing for her hand.  The fierce competition resulted in numerous boxes of chocolates which left her unmoved but delighted her young siblings. One very determined suitor, Mervyn, pursued her at great expense, travelling twenty kilometres by cab every day (earning him the moniker “Twelve-mile Twidale”) to press his suit.  When her father was transferred to West Pakistan, another troupe of suitors hovered around but Mervyn was not to be deterred.  He conducted a long-distance romance (2200 kilometres) and was not above bribing her siblings (with bricks of ice-cream) to gain intelligence on the competition. Twelve-mile-Twidale prevailed and the wedding took place in 1954. Della moved to East Pakistan and the family grew by three, son Glenn, daughter Bernadine and then the youngest son, Paul.

Her life was punctuated with “flights”, first from Burma to India prior to World War II, then from India to Pakistan during the chaos of Partition of the Indian sub-continent. Her final flight was from the civil war in East Pakistan which gave birth to Bangladesh.  The journey to Canada in 1971 was the first non-dramatic move of her life! In the 1970s, Della worked at the Canadian Charolais Association. In the 1980’s and 90’s, she worked for three publishers at the Calgary Herald.

Della was a strong, intelligent and fiercely independent woman who chafed at the loss of some of that independence as she aged and had to move into a nursing home. She had a fractious relationship with her devices often complaining about her temperamental iPad.  She was a voracious reader, devouring e-books often within a single day.  They were a godsend during the pandemic when the facility was in lockdown and even family could not visit.

Della is survived by son Glenn, daughter Bernadine, daughter-in-law Shelley, four grandchildren, Reid, Haley, Jacob, and Kyra; niece Milly (Janice); siblings, Gerry Barrie (Lila), Coralie Schellhase (Hans Ulf), Doreen Barrie (Derek), Denzil Barrie (Christine), John Barrie (Gabriele) and Kenneth Barrie (Donna); as well as nieces, nephews and good friends all over the world.  She was predeceased by her husband Mervyn, son Paul and her brother Ansbert.

Funeral Mass will be celebrated at Holy Spirit Catholic Church (10827 – 24th Street S.W., Calgary, AB) on Wednesday, September 23, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Adela’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com.

If friends so desire, memorial tributes may be made directly to the Salvation Army, 1731 29th Street SW Calgary, AB, T3C 1M6, on line at www.salvationarmy.ca , or by phone 403-410-1112.

Our thanks to the staff at Age Care Midnapore who took good care of her especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In living memory of Adela Twidale, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McInnis & Holloway Funeral Homes, Fish Creek, 14441 Bannister Road SE, Calgary, AB T2X 3J3, Telephone: 403-256-9575.