Gladys Dickison

Gladys Janet Dickison (nee Troop)
February 9, 1922 – September 17, 2017

        Gladys led a full and enriched life.  She was daughter to Gordon and Lillian Troop, sister to Clarence and Loreen.  She was wife to Ray or Dick as he was often called.  She was mother to Tommy who tragically died of diphtheria at 20 months, Perry and Ruth, mother-in-law to Mike and David.  Adoring grandma to Chris, David and Nicole and GG to Julianna, Kyle, Amelia, Alexis, Sam and Zoey.   Sister-in-law to Judy and others from Ray's family. auntie to Marlene who was her special niece.

        She was born in Portage and went to Burnside school.  She told stories of riding a horse-drawn buggy to the small country school.  Loreen died at age 9, leaving Clarence and Gladys to help out on the farm.  Gladys always stated quite boldly that the outdoor farm chores didn't suit her, she helped more indoors and perfected her piano playing.  That was time well spent as we enjoyed many a musical family gathering in later years, with Gladys on piano and Ray on the fiddle. 

        Gladys went to Winnipeg to attend secretarial school.  She took her “steno” (as she referred to herself) skills very seriously.  She mastered shorthand (a long lost art) and her handwriting was perfect.  She met Ray on a blind date and they married not long after. 
 
        Living in the cottages of Gimli, and then in Portage, with Ruth and Tommy was hard for a young Mom while Ray spent a year overseas, serving in the Air Force.  Ray returned and Tommy died shortly after.  A transfer took them to Edmonton where Perry was born.  After about 2 years another transfer took them to Richmond, B.C.  Ray liked to refer to Lulu Island (technically, Richmond), where his work life took him.  You rarely hear that name nowadays.  

        They bought a brand new house, not yet complete in early 1959, so they stayed at a motel on Marine Drive in Vancouver, accessed by the old (not in existence anymore) Fraser Street Bridge.  The house on Aquila Rd. cost $13,000 and became their forever home.  Gladys had a few part time jobs when Ruth & Perry were old enough to be on their own after school.  She worked at McLean Hunter Publishing, babysat for a neighbour and was the secretary for Steveston Community Centre. She also volunteered for the Canadian Cancer Society and received an award for 25 years of dedication.  It seemed wrong when Gladys herself was diagnosed with breast cancer, but she fought that fight well, living 27 more years.

        Ray passed away in 1994.  Gladys sold the Aquila Rd. home and moved to a condo in Richmond enabling her to keep her friends and church life.  As her driving skills diminished she moved to Delta to be near family.  She lived in that condo for 5 1/2 years until her health forced a move to a care home.  

        Gladys will always hold a special place in our hearts.  She was kind and generous to all, including every non profit agency you can think of!  She was always intent on doing the “right” thing and never swayed from commitment to her morals and her faith.  She had a strong sense of “fate” and was steadfast in her belief in destiny.  She touched all of us in many ways and we will love her forever.   Rest in peace Gladys/Mom/Grandma/GG/Auntie Gladys.  A private family interment to be take place at Burnside Cemetery.

Messages of condolences can be made online at www.omegafuneralhome.com

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