May 14, 1920 – August 2, 2013
With great sadness we announce the peaceful passing of our mother. Missing her are her children, Marlene Skirrow Bumgarner and Keith Rowland Skirrow; her grandchildren Dona Ana Bumgarner, John Rowland Bumgarner, JamieVan Zanen, and Deborah Ruth Eltgroth; her great-granddaughter Stella Anne Bumgarner Flint; and many nieces and nephews in Canada, the UK and Australia.
Until recently May was at all times beside her devoted husband and companion of 66 years, Rowland Skirrow, and she missed him very much after his passing in 2011. Their love story inspired family and friends. They met during World War II in England and corresponded while Rowland was overseas, serving as a gunner in the North African desert and later as a peacekeeper in the European Occupation Army. May served her country in the Auxiliary Transport Service (ATS). In 1945 they married and shortly afterward immigrated to the United States where they raised their family. They immigrated again to Australia (twice) and eventually to Parksville, BC where they retired in 1981.
Mom and Dad’s travels during the next 20 years, her active and enthusiastic participation in aerobics, clogging, gardening, lawn bowling and other Oceanside recreational pursuits, her intense love of family and friends, and the emotional support of her beloved church community, provided her with a full and rich life in her later years. She loved to sing, and she loved to knit. She loved her family. Indeed, she loved everyone she met.
A special thank you to Dr. Johann Wagenaar and the staff at Eagle Park for the wonderful care they gave to both Mom and Dad.
A private Memorial Service was held on Tuesday, August 6 at Knox United Church in Parksville. Condolences may be sent to Marlene Bumgarner, P.O. Box 1326, Morgan Hill, CA USA 95038.
Donations in May’s memory may be made to the Eagle Park Health Care Auxiliary, 777 Jones Street, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 2L1