Obituary for the late Zena Anne Brooks 1929 – 2014

Zena Anne Brooks, 85, of Oliver wife of Richard Carl Lincoln Brooks, died on October 26th, 2014.

Born October 23rd, 1929 to William and Vera Luciak, in the tight-knit traditional Ukrainian community of Vegreville, Alberta, at the beginning of the depression.

Zena made lifelong friends during her grade school years, as she recalled that nobody was rich and nobody felt poor. Her childhood revolved around Ukrainian traditions brought from the ‘Old Country’ centred in the Church. She learned to make delicious home cooking from her Mother, as they typically ate cabbage rolls, borscht, cornmeal, perogies, cream-of-chicken, lots of vegetables, fruit, bread, pies and donuts.

Graduating from Calgary Nursing School in 1953, she then worked in Coronation and Edmonton. She met Richard in 1953. After six dates and three months of being engaged they were married. Their first home was a 32ft trailer in Virden, Manitoba, an oil field boom town.

In 1955, they bought a 45ft trailer to follow the drilling rig, which they did until 1961. During this time, their daughters Susan, Cathy and Edie-Mae were born as they travelled throughout Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Northern B.C. and the Queen Charlotte Islands.

In 1961, they bought their first house in Sherwood Park, Alberta so the girls could attend school. In 1964, Richard took a job in Edmonton so he could spend more time with the family. David was born in 1965. The years from 1964 until 1969 were extremely enjoyable.

In 1969, the family moved to Port Colborne, Ontario. There was always a guest room prepared for visitors coming regularly to Ontario. She opened her house to the many friends she had made over the years. She was active in the United Church, curling and clubs, but her main social activity was daily visiting with several small social groups. Zena was always a ‘people-person’.

From the time she was married, Zena was interested in travelling and sightseeing. Her most cherished trip was a Catholic tour to many of the sacred destinations in Europe.

In 1989, they retired to Oliver, B.C. For many years, in Oliver, Zena was actively involved in the Gleaners, harvesting and processing excess crops to send overseas to the needy. The Gleaners was one of Zena’s most passionate causes. She did this until her health would not allow her to do the physical work.

In Oliver, she continued her role as hostess to out-of-town visitors, care groups and Bible studies in the Alliance Church. Once again, she preferred to be hostess rather than guest.

A highlight of her life was her 80th birthday, in 2009, when most of her immediate family attended from out-of-province and out-of-country.

Wherever Zena was in life, she surrounded herself with good friends.

She will be missed by those who knew her and by those in the world whose lives she touched.

Donations are gratefully accepted for the Okanagan Gleaners, 507 No. 3 Road, Oliver, BC V0H 1T1.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Saturday November 1, 2014 at the Oliver Alliance Church. A reception will follow in the church reception hall.

Condolences and tributes may be directed to the family by visiting www.nunes-pottinger.com

Arrangements entrusted to Nunes-Pottinger Funeral Service & Crematorium, Oliver & Osoyoos.