TERLESKY, Fernande

Fernande (Ferne) Terlesky

1921-2018

(nee Demers)

Fernande (Ferne) G Terlesky, born November 2, 1921, passed away peacefully just six weeks shy of 97 years on Saturday, September 22, 2018 at Cedar Creek Adapt-A-Care, Lethbridge, Alberta. Ferne was born on a farm near East End, Saskatchewan and was number 8 of 12 children of Gracia Rousseau and Modeste Demers both of Quebec. During WWII she served as a Corporal in the RCAF, from 1942 to 1945 from Dartmouth NS to Victoria, BC, repairing plane wings, painting camouflage and packing parachutes. Following her marriage to Alex in 1948 she lived in Lethbridge, along with her close sister, Juliette, and many in-laws who were all well-known for their festive family gatherings. Mom’s life was about family, service and helping others. During this time, she was a volunteer with the Girl Guide/Brownie organization, CWL and Catholic Charities. She decorated birthday cakes for Edith Cavell Nursing Home and for a brief time she taught religion classes to children in a rural school. Mom loved bowling, playing bridge, self-taught arts and crafts, music and especially reading and learning. She was also one hot-shot horseshoe player. Mom was a woman characterized by deep faith (as attested to by her well-worn bible), wisdom, inner strength, intelligence, kindness, love, generosity, caring, humor and an eye for beauty. She had a love of cooking (including her famous soups), baking and gardening. She steadied all that knew her with these two sayings: “Have faith, and Just Trust!” She is survived by her two daughters, Frances (Lethbridge) and Jean (Kimberley, BC); sister, Estelle, of Philadelphia; grandchildren Brent Terlesky, Amber Terlesky and Liz Astin (Jeff) all of California; two “double” nieces, Bev Treleaven (John), of Sidney BC, and Dianne Arthur of Medicine Hat, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and a family friend Rob McIntyre of Kimberley, BC. Ferne was predeceased by her loving husband, Alex (Alexander) 1985, son Gary (California) 2015 and eleven siblings. The family would like to thank Wendy Stinn and Dawn Croft, her faithful friends, and Sharon Penton and staff of Cedar Creek Adapt-A-Care for their many years of extraordinary kindness and loving care in helping Mom deal with her many later-life challenges. Vigil Rites (Prayers) will be held on Thursday, October 4, 2018 at 7:00 pm at MARTIN BROTHERS RIVERVIEW CHAPEL, 610 – 4 Street S, Lethbridge, Alberta. A Funeral Mass will be held on Friday, October 5, 2018 at 9:00 am at ST. BASIL’S CATHOLIC CHURCH, 604 – 13 Street N, Lethbridge, Alberta. Interment will follow in Mountain View Cemetery.

Visit www.mbfunerals.com to send a private condolence.