Yvonne passed away peacefully at Buchanan Lodge at the age of 92. She was born in Ochre River Manitoba at the beginning of the great depression. She is the second eldest child born to Bob and Eva Thacker after her oldest sister Elvie and followed by Darlene and Bill her younger siblings. Yvonne described a wonderful childhood growing up on a farm where there was always lots of work to do and in spite of the depression food was plentiful on her father’s farm. When she was quite young her father taught her to drive the tractor to help with haying, she collected eggs and often milked the cows. In 1936 Yvonne contracted polio, along with several of the children she went to school with. It left her paralyzed from the neck down for about a year. During that time her mum cared for her at home.
Yvonne completed grade 11 at Hamilton School and went on to Hairdressing school in Dauphin, and later in Winnipeg where she wrote her final exams. She moved to Vancouver and married Leslie, where their daughter Lynn was born. Leslie died in an accident 1953. Yvonne later remarried and her sons Dennis, Gary and Rob were born as well as her stepson Jack. Yvonne was a hard worker, working her entire adult life. She took a break from hairdressing and became a practical nurse for several years but returned to hairdressing until her retirement in 1995.
Yvonne had many interests one of which was her political support of the NDP. Along with her moral support she made sandwiches for the headquarters in Burnaby on voting night every election. She was a wonderful cook especially her pumpkin pie which won first place and her lemon meringue pie which took second place at the Country Fair. She had wonderful penmanship spending hours perfecting her Caligraphy skills. Her preference was always to be out in her garden tending to her favorite roses rather than in the house working.
She spent her final years living at Buchanan Lodge in New Westminster. Our family would like to express our sincere thanks to all of the staff for the care and unending patience given to Yvonne and the support to the family during the difficult times especially during covid when visits were restricted.
Yvonne is survived by her sister Darlene Tiede, her daughter Lynn (Rick),her sons Rob (Carol) and Dennis, her granddaughter’s Rachel, Danielle (Travis), Karly (Rhys),her grandsons Kyle, Rhys her great-grandchildren Angel, Sophia, Luca, Liam, Ava and James as well as her great-great-grandson Dominic.
Yvonne will be laid to rest with her husband Drummond. The ashes of her son Gary, who died in 2003, will be buried next to Yvonne at Forest Lawn in Burnaby.