Obituary for Gladys Kathleen McLean (Voke)
Gladys Kathleen McLean
Peacefully on Saturday August 8, 2020 Gladys passed away at Emo Long Term Care (Fort Frances, ON) with friends by her side. Gladys was born in Sussex England on September 5, 1916. She had an older brother Cyril who was born in 1913. They had a happy childhood, enjoying sport and an outdoor life, spending many hours walking the Sussex Downs. Gladys has always been a great walker, she loved the bird life around her and all animals were a source of joy to her. She was quite young when her father gave her a camera and thus began a lifetime hobby of photography.
Gladys had completed her nursing training when World War 2 broke out. She remained in London nursing throughout the blitz having some narrow escapes when the bombs rained down. In 1942 she joined the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corp. and left Liverpool on a 1200 bed hospital ship travelling to Cape Town and Bombay before setting up a hospital in Basra Iraq for about nine months; then on to Egypt, Tripoli and Italy for several months, ending up in Hamburg Germany until returning home in 1946. It was whilst she was in Italy that she learned that the convoy her brother had been travelling in had been attacked and Cyril had not survived. He died in 1943.
After leaving the army she decided to get experience nursing people with tuberculosis, a disease her father had died of in 1939. She moved to Canada in 1958 after answering an advertisement for nursing tuberculosis near the Pas Manitoba. Here she not only met her great friend Vide but also her future husband Donald McLean. They were married in Winnipeg on December 9, 1959. She later encouraged her mother to leave England and live with them. They settled in Barwick and Gladys continued her nursing career at the Emo Red Cross Hospital where she remained until her retirement.
In 1990 they moved to the Morley Meadowside Manor in Stratton until Donald’s passing in 1994. Gladys remained in Stratton until the spring of 2011 at which time she moved to Long Term Care at Rainycrest and then to Emo a few months later. Throughout her life Gladys was always ready to help others in any way she could. She was active with many hobbies and enjoyed working on her garden. She loved steam trains and train travel and enjoyed the sounds of trains passing by. The Barwick Church and her Church Family were an important part of her life and until recent times Gladys was a regular at the Sunday church service often followed by lunch at the Barwick Cafe.
Margaret Voke, her only niece resides in Victoria, Australia and has been to Canada several times and says her Aunt Gladys was a much loved lady who will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
A graveside service will be held on Friday August 14, 2020 at 11.00 a.m. at Barwick Chapple cemetery, Pastor Mark Mast officiating; arrangements with Northridge Funeral Home.
Due to Covid’19 social distancing rules will be applied and you are encouraged to wear a mask.
If friends so desire, in memoriam donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
Peacefully on Saturday August 8, 2020 Gladys passed away at Emo Long Term Care (Fort Frances, ON) with friends by her side. Gladys was born in Sussex England on September 5, 1916. She had an older brother Cyril who was born in 1913. They had a happy childhood, enjoying sport and an outdoor life, spending many hours walking the Sussex Downs. Gladys has always been a great walker, she loved the bird life around her and all animals were a source of joy to her. She was quite young when her father gave her a camera and thus began a lifetime hobby of photography.
Gladys had completed her nursing training when World War 2 broke out. She remained in London nursing throughout the blitz having some narrow escapes when the bombs rained down. In 1942 she joined the Queen Alexandra Royal Army Nursing Corp. and left Liverpool on a 1200 bed hospital ship travelling to Cape Town and Bombay before setting up a hospital in Basra Iraq for about nine months; then on to Egypt, Tripoli and Italy for several months, ending up in Hamburg Germany until returning home in 1946. It was whilst she was in Italy that she learned that the convoy her brother had been travelling in had been attacked and Cyril had not survived. He died in 1943.
After leaving the army she decided to get experience nursing people with tuberculosis, a disease her father had died of in 1939. She moved to Canada in 1958 after answering an advertisement for nursing tuberculosis near the Pas Manitoba. Here she not only met her great friend Vide but also her future husband Donald McLean. They were married in Winnipeg on December 9, 1959. She later encouraged her mother to leave England and live with them. They settled in Barwick and Gladys continued her nursing career at the Emo Red Cross Hospital where she remained until her retirement.
In 1990 they moved to the Morley Meadowside Manor in Stratton until Donald’s passing in 1994. Gladys remained in Stratton until the spring of 2011 at which time she moved to Long Term Care at Rainycrest and then to Emo a few months later. Throughout her life Gladys was always ready to help others in any way she could. She was active with many hobbies and enjoyed working on her garden. She loved steam trains and train travel and enjoyed the sounds of trains passing by. The Barwick Church and her Church Family were an important part of her life and until recent times Gladys was a regular at the Sunday church service often followed by lunch at the Barwick Cafe.
Margaret Voke, her only niece resides in Victoria, Australia and has been to Canada several times and says her Aunt Gladys was a much loved lady who will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
A graveside service will be held on Friday August 14, 2020 at 11.00 a.m. at Barwick Chapple cemetery, Pastor Mark Mast officiating; arrangements with Northridge Funeral Home.
Due to Covid’19 social distancing rules will be applied and you are encouraged to wear a mask.
If friends so desire, in memoriam donations may be made to the charity of your choice.