Obituary of Maria Christina CRETE

1946 – 2014 Maria Crete passed away peacefully in Calgary on Tuesday, February 4, 2014 at the age of 67 years. Maria was born on Tuesday, November 26, 1946 in Calgary’s General Hospital to Ernest and Irma Condon, the first of four children. Maria worked in the family restaurant, “Jimmie’s” as a youngster. She graduated Mount Royal Elementary and Junior High, Western High School, as well as S.A.I.T. After joining Sears in Calgary, Maria was transferred to Montreal in 1968 where she was a buyer for Ladies’ fashions for a number of firms including Sears, Eaton’s and several boutiques. It was in The Town of Mount Royal, where she met and eventually married Denis Crete of that City in a ceremony held in Banff on Saturday, April 17, 1971. Denis and his “Sweet Maria” were very active members of the Town of Mount Royal community where she lived for some 38 years, participating together in square dance festivals, playing bridge, golf, as well as many other activities which fed her competitive fires while weaving the two of them tightly into the local Montreal social scene. After their retirements, they moved to Calgary in November, 2005 to be closer to her family, using their new home as a springboard for travel into much of the world. Maria’s passions were her husband Denis and their many dear friends in Montreal, Calgary and elsewhere in the world who will feel her absence. She is survived by her best friend and husband Denis, her sister Sothia and brothers Jim and George, sister-in-law Pat, nieces Robyn, Trisha and nephew Brady. She was predeceased by her father Ernest, mother Irma, mother-in-law Phyllis and her beloved pets Taffy and later Tiffany. Funeral Services will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Park Memorial Chapel (5008 Elbow Drive S.W. Calgary, AB) on Friday, February 7, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. Graveside service will follow at Mountain View Memorial Gardens (17 Avenue and Garden Road S.E.) Condolences may be forwarded through www.mcinnisandholloway.com. If friends so desire, in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made directly to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, c/o Tom Baker Cancer Centre, 1331 – 29 Street N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 4N2 Telephone: 1 (866) 412-4222. www.albertacancer.ca/memorial. The entire family would like to thank all of her many friends who visited or lent their support, the tremendously caring staff on Unit 47 of the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Reverend Rougas, the staff of McInnis and Holloway Funeral Home, and the staff of Mountain View Memorial Gardens Cemetery. In living memory of Maria Crete, a tree will be planted at Fish Creek Provincial Park by McINNIS & HOLLOWAY FUNERAL HOMES Park Memorial Chapel, 5008 ELBOW DRIVE S.W. Calgary, AB, T2S 2L5, Telephone: 403-243-8200.