Obituary of Bonnae Anne McTavish (nee Boswell)

June 13, 1944 – Toronto, Ontario

November 2, 2020 – Calgary, Alberta

Bonnae McTavish, beloved wife of Jock McTavish, of Calgary, AB peacefully passed away on Monday, November 2, 2020 at the age of 76 after a brief battle with Pancreatic Cancer.

Bonnae was born in Toronto, ON, on June 13, 1944 and grew up in Regina, SK. In 1962, Bonnae attended the Baptist Leadership Training School in Calgary, AB, where she met Jock McTavish, her future husband. Then in 1963 she attended the Regina Teachers College for two years until her and Jock were married in 1965.

Bonnae worked as an Elementary School Teacher in Calgary until her daughter Jennifer was born in 1972. A year later the family moved to Whitehorse, YK, where her son David was born. For 11 years the family enjoyed life in the Yukon where Bonnae chose to stay home and raise her children. In 1984, the family relocated to Calgary, where Bonnae and Jock helped found Airborne Precision Avionics. A few years later Bonnae became the manager of the technical records department for Kenn Borek Air where she retired after twenty-five years of impeccable service.

Bonnae was an active member of the United Church, and enjoyed gardening, card making, reading, and most of all spending time with her family and grandchildren. Bonnae is remembered as being a selfless person willing to give time to the people in her life and everybody who met her benefited from her loving personality.

Besides her loving husband Jock, Bonnae is survived by her son David McTavish of Smithers, BC, daughter Jennifer McTavish and Jennifer’s children, Hannah, Hayden and Heather of Calgary.  Bonnae is also survived by her sisters, Brenda Labersweiler of Duval SK, and Carol Purves (Don Purves) of Regina, SK; mother-in-law Marjorie Stauffer of Calgary and her cat, Pumpkin. Bonnae was predeceased by her parents, Dorothy and Neil Boswell.

Bonnae was an inspiration for Jock, who wrote this poem when he saw her in her garden: 

You pleasure me watching

I watched you sleeping for a while lying in a huge soft heap of white protected by your dark green walls you gently breathing.

And you were all there was in the world.

I watched you gardening for a while with the splashing sound of your pond making of you a silent movie about dandelions and tulips.

And you were all there was in the world.

I watched you working for a while with intensity and efficiency the sound of your music filling the room a silent clock ticking.

And you were all there was in the world.

I watched you reading for a while with the scent of your candle in the air your black and white gallery leading my eye to you.

And you were all there was in the world.

A live-stream Celebration of Life will take place on November 21st at 1:00 pm. Please check St. David's United Church website for details. www.sduc.ca.  Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed on Bonnae’s obituary at www.McInnisandHolloway.com. If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Bonnae's name to St. David's United Church at www.stdavidsunitedchurch.ca/pages/give.

In living memory of Bonnae McTavish, a tree will be planted in the Ann & Sandy Cross Conservation Area by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES, Chapel of the Bells, 2720 CENTRE STREET NORTH, CALGARY, AB T2E 2V6, Telephone: 403-243-8200.