Tributes
to
Canadian Quotarians
Tributes to
Canadian Quotarians
In Memorium Ceremony 2010 District Conference
I am very honoured today to have the opportunity to pay tribute to three wonderful and vital members of Quota International District 18. It is very difficult for all of us to say goodbye to these dear companions who have touched our lives through our organization.
We are paying tribute this year to Donna Spicer, Marg Capel and Carol Rodger. I have asked Bettylou Howlett and Sue Sipprell to join me in this tribute.
Bettylou was a dear friend of Donna’s since both were members of the St. Thomas club, and she was president of the Grey Bruce club when Marg Capel passed away. Sue Sipprell represents the Owen Sound club of which Carol Rodger was a member . The vivid red roses that I’m using in this service today were chosen to reflect the dynamic personalities of these three ladies.
 Past Canada Area Director Donna Spicer | Since the St. Thomas club dissolved Donna had been a member-at-large attending Quota functions even as her health deteriorated. She fought valiantly for many years to regain her health but it was not to be. Her multitude of Quota friends recognized the many strengths she brought to our organization as a club president, Lt. Gov., Governor, and Canada Area Director and member of the International Board. In the words of Kathleen Trieber, executive director of Quota International, “she touched the lives of those she served with and she will be remembered warmly by her Quota friends throughout the world”. I will now ask her dear friend Bettylou Howlett to place a rose in memory of Donna.  |
 Marg Capel | Grey Bruce Silver Q has suffered the loss of another dear member Marg Capel who passed away in February, 2010 at the age of 86 after a year-long struggle with cancer. Marg or “Mame” as she loved to be called was vivacious, witty, creative and colorful! She swooped into our meetings wearing red, black or white, in glamorous capes and of course her high spike heeled boots which too were usually red. The brochure distributed at her memorial contained quoted lines from James Taylor’s everyday psalms which described her philosophies to a T. Leap and dance with joy Splash through the puddles Dance your way down the garden Scatter rose petals in every step That was Marg! Bettylou will now place a rose for her. |
 Carol Rodger | Carol Rodger from the Owen Sound club was born in 1945 and passed away in April 2010. Although I did not know Carol personally, the tributes given at her funeral by family and friends painted a picture of a very loving and warm person who loved her children, her grandchildren and of course her Quota friends. She also loved red, as her fashionable hats identified her as a member of the Red Hat Society. In Quota, she served on the Sunshine and Program committees and was described by her fellow members as kind, determined and with a great willingness to share. Other interests included sports, cards and gardening. Sue will now place a rose as we remember Carol. |
I invite you all to view some of the items concerning these ladies which I have left on the table before you leave today. I will leave you with one last reading which I hope will give us all peace in the loss of our friends.
Those we love don’t go away
They walk beside us every day
Unseen, unheard but always near
Still loved, still missed and very dear
Dorothy Mercer Gardner (nee Harvey)
Born: April 22, 1920 in England
Died: December 20, 2009 in Barrie, Ontario
Quota International of Barrie was saddened to learn of Dorothy’s death in December of 2009. Dorothy was very involved in the community and a devoted Quota member. She was a Charter Member of the Quota Club of Barrie in 1970, a Governor of District 18 from 1975 - 1977. She was a Past President of the Barrie Business & Professional Women’s Club, and was a past member of the Eastern Star and the Sharamazda Ladies Shrine. As a founding member of the Parkview Senior’s Centre she served on numerous committees including the Advisory Board. She was also a past member of the Board of the Barrie Royal Victoria Hospital.
Dorothy has been recognized for her volunteerism by many awards and especially the Commemorative Medal of Canada (1992) for her contribution to the community and Canada.
Dorothy loved to travel and attended many Quota International conferences/conventions in Florida, California, Australia, Singapore and Hawaii. She loved knitting, needlepoint and all other kinds of crafts and sewing projects. Our bazaars and sales were the recipients of her handiwork. She was very loving and giving in everything she did. As President of the Quota Club of Barrie, Dorothy was instrumental in the club’s growth with the recruiting of new members. She actively pursued the goals of helping the deaf and deafened and speech impaired in this area. In her duties as Governor, she visited the clubs in Ontario supporting the goals of Quota.
Her final years were very difficult, and health issues were the main reasons she had to forgo being actively involved in our club. Blindness and a serious fall resulting in a neck fracture and necessitated her moving into a Retirement Community. She was admitted to a long-term care facility after a subsequent serious fall resulted in another neck fracture, confining her to a wheelchair. The Quota Club of Barrie made Dorothy an Honorary Life Member to recognize her role as a Charter Member and her commitment to our club when she was no longer able to attend meetings due to her health. She was much loved by her family and numerous friends and brought so much happiness to all that knew her. She will be sorely missed.
Vi Keenan - QI of Medicine Hat, Medicine Hat, AB
Date of Death: June 04, 2009
Violet Keenan of Lethbridge, Alberta Canada passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 4,2009 at St. Michaels Palliative Care Unit. Vi is survived by her 12 children, and four generations of grand-children. Over the years, Vi either worked or taught in the Nursing field. Vi was a devoted Quotarian since 1981- serving in all aspects of the club, including District 11 Governor for the 1990-1991 term. Vi attended many conventions and most of all the district conferences. She has an awesome collection of Quota pins and memorabilia can atest to that. When Quota in Lethbridge disbanded, Vi joined the Medicine Hat club. This was a 2 hr. drive for her, and she attended as many meetings as possible until her health started to fail. The Medicine Hat members would drive to Lethbridge at least once a year for a meeting so as she could be with us. Vi was a gentle loving wife, mother, grand-mother and a dedicated teacher and friend to all. We will greatly miss her wit, her spirit of giving to young and old, her love for flowers, painting and her angels. We miss you, Vi.
In Memorium - 2009 District Conference
Each year during our District Conference, we take a few moments for “Memory Time” during which we pay tribute to those we have lost. During the past twelve months we have endured the loss of five wonderful Quotarians, each of whom brought their unique talents too our organization.
At this time, I would like to ask the following presidents to join me as we are honouring their memories, Bettylou Howlett, Quota International of Grey Bruce Silver Q, Peggy Anne Black Quota International of Owen Sound, and Belva Pethick, Quota International of Mariposa Silver Q.
 Diane Workman | Diane joined Quota in 2006 and graciously accepted many roles in the club. She was a retired teacher who was very active in a variety of community organizations. The Owen Sound club was truly blessed to have Diane as a member. |
 Margarita Hutchison | Margarita was a new member who joined the Grey Bruce Silver Q club one year ago. She owned and operated a dress salon for may years but retired early when she became ill and her five year struggle with health issues began. Her determination and strong spirit were inspiring to all of us during her short time as a member. |
 Doris Fraser | Doris joined Quota in 1974 and served the club in many capacities including 2 years as president of the Owen Sound club, and later transferring to the Grey Bruce Silver Q in 2005 as one of its charter members. She held the position of president at the time of her death. Her love of Quota was very evident to all who knew her, and she was extremely dedicated to the objects of Quota. |
 Gerry Clarke | Gerry, a member of the Mariposa Silver Q club, served as president in 2007-08, a position she took on as a relatively new member. She was described to me as a very gracious lady who often shared her home with her friends in the Mariposa club. |
 Faye Burnie | Faye was a long time ember of Quota, first as a member of the Orillia club, and then transferring to the Mariposa Silver Q in1999. Faye was best known to Quotarians of District 18 as the dedicated and efficient treasurer of the Helene MacKenzie and Past District 18 Governors’ Trust Fund. Faye gave generously of her time and was a tireless, dedicated member who worked for all aspects of Quota. The quiet wisdom she shared with us was taken to heart by many. |
Each of these ladies embodied the spirit of Quota and can be described this way:
Quietly aware of the needs of others
Understands tat the work may be hard
Offering unselfishly of time and energy
True to the ideals of Quota
Always there when someone needs her
Ready to help when called upon
In adversity and calm
A true friend
Never ceasing in efforts for all.
In closing, I would just like to say that these friends we honour today would like us to be happy in out memory of them and to this end I offer the following poem:
I’d like your memory of me to be a happy one,
I’d like to leave an afterglow of smiles when day is done.
I’d like to leave an echo whispering softly down
The way of happy times and laughing time
And bright and sunny days.
I’d like the tears of those who grieve
To dry before the sun
Of happy memories that I leave
Behind when day is done.
Many people will walk in and out of our lives but only true friends will leave footprints in our hearts. Diane, Margarita, Doris, Gerry and Faye, we love you and will miss you. God bless you.
Weyburn Loses Long-time Member
Margaret Ferguson
Margaret Ferguson passed away peacefully on May 16, 2007 at the age of 85 after a valiant battle with cancer. She is missed by the Weyburn Quota Club of which Margaret was a dedicated member for 36 years. She had served at President, Vice-President and as chairman of countless committees. Margaret was the chairperson for the Member Care Committee for over 10 years. She kept track of everyone’s birthdays, anniversaries, faithfully visited anyone confined to hospital or home.
Margaret was active in her church and was a member of the official Board for 24 years. She was President of the United Church Women for two years and leader of the Lazy Daisy unit where she worked on the preparation of banquet and funeral lunches. She was also diligent in visiting “shut-ins” for her church.
She was a 62 year dedicated Life Member of the Alexandria Rebekah Lodge. In 2003, Margaret was honoured with Rebekah merit Jewel for her valuable years of service to the Lodge and her community. She was Noble Grand in 1954 and District Deputy President in 1989. Margaret, was also active with the Weyburn Retired Nurses.
Margaret exemplified the true spirit of volunteerism and the Quota spirit of sharing, caring, compassion and friendship.
Mariposa Quotarians Remembered
Mary Showers
A very active 79 year old passed away on Saturday September 1, 2007 at her home in Orillia. She left behind four grieving children, their spouses and nine loving grandchildren. She was a wonderful Grandmother and many of us wished she had been ours!
Mary had been with the Silver "Q" club for the past two and a half years and during that time volunteered for various committees, organized the schedule for the Kiwanis Music Festival and donated her timeshare for the Quota Auction. A very warm and caring individual and also very active within her community will be missed by her many friends.
Lillian Huffman
Lillian loved life and loved to laugh and she will be missed by the Mariposa Silver "Q" members. When we were organizing the club, Lillian was the only person that responded to an ad placed in the newspaper. She did not join then becoming a charter member as she was going in for surgery. She did however join a few months later on Jan. 26th, 2000.
During her time as a member she participated in all projects where she was able. She served as the Treasurer for two years and at the time of her death was a Director and in charge of World Service.
Lillian died suddenly on Sept. 17th, 2007 just ten days short of celebrating her 70th birthday. Two day earlier she was busy counting and rolling the money for our Club-to-Club projects.
Memory Time Tribute - District 18 Conference May, 2007
I have come to the conclusion that Quota is like a large beautiful bouquet and Quotarians are the individual flowers. We show the world, what we can be if we all work together. When we join the club we are nervous and keep out petals closed so that we don’t embarrass ourselves, and we don’t want to stand out or tread on anyone’s toes.
Then someone comes along and pushes us further into the bouquet and we get our feet wet, and from then on we blossom into the person we know that we can be. We show our bloom to the world and feel wonderful.
Occasionally the wind blows too strong and a flower looses all of its petals way to early, or it may live a full life and the petals fall gently until they are gone. Whichever way we leave the bouquet there is a void that can never be filled, we try to put another flower in the same place, but the arrangement never looks the same.
Over the years we have known some very beautiful flowers, and this bouquet represents them today, whether we knew them for a long time or a short time they live in our memory, the Evelyn Horne’s, Dorothy Gardner’s, Aileen Carter’s to name three who served Quota for more than 40 years.
This year we remember four members, Dawn Dunkley from Barrie, Eileen Free from Owen Sound, Esther Ballard Hunter originally from the Orillia Club and a Past District Governor, and Avalon Phoenix a Charter member of the Hamilton Club
I would like a member from each of their clubs to please come forward and put a flower in the bouquet. Lynda Crawford from Owen Sound, Fay Burnie from Mariposa, Anne Ollikainen from Barrie, and June Lockwood from Hamilton.
This is for those missing flowers both here and around the Quota world.
We walk through this life and help where we can,
Never knowing the length or course of its span.
We try and we dream to show that we care,
Hoping some will remember that we were there.
That we did our share of loving and giving,
No matter what it was that we did for a living.
If we leave our mark for others to see,
Surely that is all we can hope to be.
Evelyn Horne
February 23, 1907 – March 21, 2005
We are deeply saddened to advise that on Monday, March 21, 2005 we lost a greatly loved and cherished member of the Quota Club of Ottawa Incorporated, District 18, Canada. Evelyn joined Quota in 1963, and has been an active member of our club for forty-two years.
She has filled the positions of Club President, Lt. Governor and Governor of District 18, and served on the International Board as Quota’s Vice-President of Canada from 1973 to 1974. Evelyn was a Wanda Frey Joiner Founder, a We Share Foundation Benefactor and she received the “Living Legend Award” from Quota International at Convention in 2004. Most recently she was our clubs Parliamentarian “extraordinaire” and Historian.
Evelyn’s journey started more than ninety-eight years ago in Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her career took her from teaching in a one-room school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to the provincial Secretary’s office where she came to the attention of Prime Minister Mackenzie King. In 1941, she joined his Secretariat in Ottawa. In the early 50’s Evelyn moved on to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration and finally to the National Film Board of Canada from which she retired at sixty-nine. When she was seventy-four, she came out of retirement to assume the position of Acting Director for the Canadian Hearing Society for one year.
Evelyn has been well recognized in her community for her involvement. She was President of the Youth Services Bureau and subsequently a transitional home for teens is named the “Evelyn Horne Residence”; on the Board of Directors for both the Canadian Hearing Society and the Capital Regional Centre for the Deaf; “Community Builder Award” from the United Way of Canada, and she was presented with the “Caring Canadian Award” from the Governor General of Canada, a very prestigious national award. This award is presented to individuals and groups whose unpaid, voluntary contributions provide extraordinary help or care to people in the community over a number of years.
Evelyn leaves behind her nieces and nephews, sixteen great-nieces and nephews, eleven great-great nieces and nephews, and all of her Quota family. She will be dearly missed by all of us.
Her motto: “When You Occupy Space on This Earth, You Must Pay the Rent!
