SYDNEY ROSELEIGH ELLIS

Sydney Roseleigh Ellis was born on December 27th, 1995 in Calgary, Alberta. Sydney spent her childhood and young adulthood between Cochrane, Alberta, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and at our beloved ranch in Medicine Hat, Alberta.
Sydney has been surrounded by love and guidance with cherished friends scattered around the globe. In 1997, Sydney first started to travel the world perched upon her mother’s back. Together, they wandered through Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Nepal and Sri Lanka. At the age of 4, Sydney spent two months with her parents traveling extensively throughout Thailand.
In Sydney’s young adult life, she had developed a beautiful set of wings and wandered through Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Italy and Spain. She had plans of more travel through Australia and New Zealand with her friends.
Although she possessed this beautiful set of wings, Sydney was grounded by 120 years of roots nurtured by six generations of her ranching family. Sydney loved the ranch and was best known by friends, families and cowboys as “the horse whisperer”. Her love of horses was born at the age of one when she sat upon her first horse. At the age of three, she would run like the wind into the field to stand amidst the herd. At the age of ten, she would be seen riding amidst a growing herd and would be often called upon to gather cattle with working cowboys. By the age of eighteen, Sydney had accumulated five horses. Her greatest gifts were within her gentle communication, her firm but loving hands and a knowledge of horses influenced by her spiritual instincts, the cowboys surrounding her and her beloved coaches. Sydney raised two beautiful warm blood horses from babies to beautiful equestrian jumpers, virtually singlehandedly. In the Saskatchewan Pony and Equestrian Club, Sydney became Junior Jumper of the Year and won a prestigious award called the True Grit award. She was cherished by her friends and adoptive families of the Equestrian world both in Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Her tragic death is difficult to reconcile by all who knew and loved her. She was an incredibly, beautiful woman but her true beauty resided deep within her heart and unbridled spirit. She deeply loved her family, friends and the beautiful ranch, which nurtured her soul.
Her passing has left her family and friends fractured with grief and disbelief. However, we know that we must rise in strength and embrace the incredible light and memories of her laughter and honor her bold, beautiful and unbridled spirit.
Sydney leaves to cherish her memory her mother, Tami Ellis; her father, Dave Jonker; her brother, Eidan Ellis-Jonker; her sister, Lindsay Ellis (Dallas Monk) and their son, Morleigh Monk; her grandfather, Doug Ellis; her grandparents, Bert and Anne Jonker; her uncles and aunts, Wade (Ann) Ellis and their children, Ethan Hudec and Madden Ellis, Sommer Ellis and her children, Tryton and Taytem Stelter, Mark (Joylaine) Jonker and their children, Zachery, Hanna and Katie, Randy (Nichole) Jonker and their children, Kiya and Hailey; her extended Ellis Family and Jonker Family; and her special friends, Tobi Hudec and Wally Reisinger.
Sydney was predeceased by her grandmother, Bonnie Leigh Ellis; her great uncle, Terry Ellis; her cousin, Jesse Ellis; and her great-grandparents, Rose and Graham Ellis.
The Funeral Service will be held at HOLY FAMILY PARISH, 1451 Strachan Road SE, on Friday, April 11th, 2014 at 11:30 a.m. with Gary W. Goran officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family has decided to create a Scholarship Foundation to honor Sydney’s incredible gifts with horses at the University of Saskatchewan school of Veterinary Medicine and Equine Studies. Cheques can be made payable to “Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel in Trust”.
Condolences may be sent through www.saamis.com or to condolences@saamis.com subject heading Sydney Ellis. Funeral arrangements are entrusted to SAAMIS MEMORIAL FUNERAL CHAPEL CREMATORIUM & RECEPTION CENTRE, “The Chapel in the Park”, locally owned and directed. Should you wish any additional information, please telephone (403)528-2599