Shirley Anne MacDonald (Bell)
August 20, 1946 ~ June 7, 2014
Shirley met life with a sunny optimism and a radiant smile. She was born in Creston, BC and moved to Vancouver to attend UBC. It was a huge, exciting adventure for a young woman from a small town. She graduated from UBC with a degree in education and worked for the next 30 years as a classroom teacher, as an art teacher and finally as a teacher-librarian.
Shirley loved to teach and her students and colleagues were very important to her. A kind soul at heart, Shirley always tried to find and bring out the best in everyone.
In 1972, Shirley married Dougald MacDonald. They made their home in Vancouver. Two wonderful sons arrived, Derek in 1975 and Ross in 1977. Shirley, with love and wisdom, helped Ross to manage a childhood disability. Ross went on to earn a place on the Canadian National Wheelchair Basketball team. Derek earned a degree in computer science and has worked in Silicon Valley on projects that have taken him around the world. Shirley was a great Mom and a wonderful, patient companion.
In 1995 Shirley and Dougald built a home on the Sunshine Coast and became members of the Sunshine Coast Golf and Country Club. They met many of their very good friends through golf and enjoyed playing on travels to Scotland, Australia and the US. Shirley enjoyed a broad range of arts and was an enthusiastic member of the Spinners and Weavers Guild. Her weavings shimmered with bright colours, often purples. The community that Shirley enjoyed on the Sunshine Coast was stimulating and supportive.
Shirley and Dougald built a small house in Creston in 2006 to spend time with her mother Marion who survives her at 103! It was a pleasure to become reacquainted with childhood friends and to share the experiences of a lifetime. Shirley and Dougald spent the summers in Creston and winters near Gibsons until her illness.
Thank you to those who helped us with home care, to Dr. Walter and Dr. Wadge and to the very kind nurses who were such a comfort while at St. Mary’s Hospital.
A Celebration of Life in Creston will be arranged at a date to be announced.
The gathering will be informal and friends may make donations to the St. Mary’s Hospital Foundation, Sechelt, BC in lieu of other tributes.