PANSY ALDEEN HOWELL
March 13, 1919 – November 09, 2018
Pansy Aldeen Howell (nee Adams) was born on March 13, 1919 in the small town of Mitchell, Perth County, in Southwestern Ontario. She received her education at Mitchell Public and High schools and at Stratford Normal School after which she came by train to teach at the one room school at Minnitaki ON. Pansy arrived there in September 1939, a day or so after the beginning of the Second World War. There she met some wonderful children and their parents, some of whom have continued to be her friends. Pansy also met and in April 1941 married her beloved husband Hubert (Bud) Martin Howell. In September 1942, just before the birth of their first child, Bud arrived in England with the Lake Superior Regiment. Pansy and her baby daughter lived with her parents during the next 3 years and also taught in 2 schools in the area during part of that time. In September 1945 when Bud returned from overseas they came to live in Dryden. Four more children were born between 1946 and 1953. From the time of her arrival in Dryden Pansy was involved in St Luke`s Church as a Sunday School teacher, a choir member and a member of the Daughters of St Luke`s. When her eldest daughter started school, she became a member of the Home and School Association. During those years, most of her time was spent in making a good home for her husband and nurturing her 5 children. Pansy worked later, from 1958 to 1982 for the Dryden Board of Education as a Kindergarten teacher and she loved the children in all her classes.
The birth, in 1964 of Jennifer who was afflicted with Down Syndrome, changed the life of the family to a great degree, but as the years passed by, Jennifer became an example of charitable love to all of us. When Pansy retired in 1982, she got involved with community work and helped deliver Meals on Wheels, serving on the Board of the DDACL and spent 2 years on a committee researching and recording some of the early history of Dryden. Pansy has been a member for some years and worked to recover some of the history of St Luke`s Church whose records were lost in the 1978 fire.
In June 1993 Pansy was the recipient of an Ontario Senior`s Award at Queen`s Park, Toronto with 20 other Ontarians.
In 1994 Pansy was licensed as a Lay Reader by the Bishop of Keewatin to work as a Lay Minister at St Luke`s Church. Her work in the Parish included assisting at the Eucharist, leading a Prayer group every Monday morning, Church School Superintendent, taking the Reserved Sacrament to Patricia Gardens and to Princess Court and a few times officiating at services in Wabigoon, Minnitaki and St Luke`s.
Pansy and Bud were able to take 2 trips together to England and Scotland. The last trip, taken with the Lake Superior Regiment veterans included a visit to France and Holland in 1987.
In her retirement years, Pansy also enjoyed the company of her friends and relatives, her sewing, aquafit, quilting, bridge and line dancing groups, the fellowship with her close neighbours and with her Church family.
Her greatest joy was to have her house full of people for a dinner, morning coffee or afternoon tea and to have family home for Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners. Pansy was always intensely interested in the wellbeing of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and did all she could to encourage them to do the best they could in the way they lived their lives. She continued to be regularly involved in the life of her daughter Jennifer.
Pansy is survived by her son Ted Howell of Aberdeen Scotland, daughters Margaret (Peter) Schneider of Fort St John BC, Frances (Rod) Landymore of Pirton England and Glenice (Keith) Sveinson of Dryden. Surviving also are grandchildren Kristen Bucci (Rob Zochodne) and Kennedy and Sydney of Bowmanville ON; Johanna Sveinson (Angela Rourke) and Eryn of Kingston ON; Adam Boyd (Lori) and Chaplin of Santa Monica CA; Courtney Boyd (Goh Iromoto) of Toronto On; Morgan Little(Lisa) and Laila and Max; Reese Little (Fiona) all of Thunder Bay; Kristina Nurse (James) and Brooklyn, Evan and Mayson; Lindsay McWhinnie (Jeff) and Ben and Liam; Stephanie Baker(Josh), Luke, Ryan and Abby all of Fort St John BC.
Pansy is also survived by her sister Donna McDonald (John) of Mitchell ON, Harry Adams (Claudette) also of Mitchell and Watson Adams (Bernice) of Waterloo ON.
She also has many nieces and nephews across Canada and has been especially close to her niece Glenna Odell and her spouse Arnold of Dryden.
Pansy was predeceased by her husband in 1996; daughter Sharman in 2009; daughter Jennifer in 2013; parents Garnett and Mary (James) Adams in 1966 and 1982; her brothers Sidney and Darrell Adams; her parents-in-law William and Jeanne (Burchall) Howell in 1946 and 1970; and her brothers and sisters-in-law, Vic and Maggie Davis, Ed and Eve Davis, George and Amy Howell.
A Memorial Funeral Service will be held Tuesday, May 21, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Luke’s Anglican Church with Pastor Michael Bergman officiating.
Interment will follow in the Minnitaki Churchyard Cemetery.
If friends desire donations may be made to St. Luke’s Anglican Church or Association for Community Living through the Stevens Funeral Homes P.O. Box 412, Dryden ON P8N 2Z1. Condolences may be posted at www.stevensfuneralhomes.ca.
