Her favourite songs playing and surrounded by the love of her large extended family, Mary Elizabeth Girard passed away June 2, 2015.
Mary Brown was born September 26, 1931 in Vancouver, the second eldest of five. There were summer trips to the beach with siblings Margaret, Wally, Jean and Ellen, and visits to the movies that began her love affair with the big screen and her amazing recall of Hollywood trivia.
Still in her teens, Mary met the love of her life Bill Girard, a former Merchant Marine. They married in 1950 came to Victoria on their honeymoon and never left.
Bill working in the sawmill and Mary in retail, their real focus became their rapidly growing family. Four children in four years – Bill Jr., Jim, Barb and Cathy – were joined later by John, Dave and, finally, Dan. “Girardville” became the bustling place where the neighbourhood kids would play, drink Kool-Aid and always find room at the table to enjoy Mom’s famous steak and kidney pie or incomparable “Girard Macaroni.”
Mary and Bill, her husband of 52 years, taught the values of family, honesty, integrity, hard work and tolerance. Mom had a tremendous capacity to see, and bring out, the good in others.
Proud parents, they embraced the role of grandparents – and later for Mom, great-grandparent – with enthusiasm. It allowed her to enjoy her passion for “family time”. Every new baby was met with an excitement that seemed to give Mom a renewed energy and reason for living.
She left this life at peace, able to voice, in love and
appreciation, her gratitude to all the wonderful doctors, nurses and staff at Victoria General Hospital, and tell all her family how much she loved them.
A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at First Memorial Funeral Services, 4725 Falaise Dr. in Royal Oak, on Saturday, June 27 at 2 p.m.