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Mary Helena Rieberger (nee Dorosz)

January 11, 2019

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January 3, 1931 - January 11, 2019
Mary passed away in White Rock, B.C. on January 11th, 2019 - just 8 days after her 88th birthday.

Mary was born January 3, 1931 in Neudorf, Saskatchewan to Fred and Katherine Dorosz. Mary was the youngest of 3 girls (Tina and Rose) and the first in her family born in Canada - her mother and father having immigrated here from Eastern Europe with the 2 older girls. As a young girl, Mary's family life was on farmland until the family moved to Lister, B.C. in 1937. Mary often reminisced about the 10 acre orchard they farmed in Erickson B.C.

Mary met the love of her life Sylvester (Sid) when she worked at the apple-packing shed in Creston, B.C. What was described as an initial "hello" followed by chats at the coffee shop blossomed into a life-long relationship. The young couple were married on October 26, 1950 - on Sid's 20th birthday. Their first home in Salmo, on the farm of a good friend, followed by time at Reeves Macdonald Mine before settling back in Creston where they started their family.

They moved to Prince George in 1964, and then to Surrey in 1969 where they raised their family. Theirs was a loving marriage spanning 7 decades.

Mary took great pride in her home and family, with Christmas being a particularly special time of the year. She baked many wedding and special anniversary cakes for friends and family, she was an amazing baker. Dinner at Grandma's was not complete without a serving of her homemade pie. Mary and Sid loved socializing, camping and travel, with annual trips to Reno a regular event in their later years. They never missed a family reunion.

Mary is survived by her loving husband Sid, her two sons Dave (Branca) and Jim (Lynne), three beautiful grand-daughters Angela and Julia, Dave's step-daughter Sophia, and great-grandson Kienen (Sophia) who will always remember how special they were to her. Rest in peace beloved Wife, Mother and Grandmother.

The Family would like to thank the staff and doctors of Evergreen Baptist Campus of Care and Westminster House for their compassionate care of their Mother.

A funeral service was held at Good Shepherd Church on Wednesday Jan. 23, 2019. Internment at Valley View Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Mary's name to the Alzheimers Association of BC, https://alzheimer.ca/en/bc.