Eileen Greenslade

Eileen Evelyn Greenslade

(nee Smith)

After a long, rich life followed by a few years of failing health, Eileen Greenslade’s time with us ended on the morning of September 5, 2016. She died at age 96; we should not feel sad for very long. She would not have wanted that. As is fitting; as she would have wanted, her family was nearby as her life slipped away. She died peacefully.

Born in 1920, Eileen’s life spanned a remarkably broad arc of the twenty­first century historic events; the early part of her life was shaped by world events barely comprehensible today.  Her adolescence was during the Great Depression; the early years of her marriage and adulthood, during the war. With characteristic stoicism she endured family tragedy in the war and polio epidemic of the early 50s.

Family was the sustaining influence in Eileen’s life. Her parents were Lawrence and Evelyn Smith, a remarkable couple, both of whom left the world a better, gentler place than they found it.  Euchre games with them were a delight. Festive family meals on special occasions were the stuff of Victorian novels.

As a young woman of 18, Eileen married Elmer Greenslade and the cycle of building a successful business, community service and maintaining a happy, loving family home began.  In the early years of their marriage, Elmer’s at times debilitating asthma was constantly hanging over their heads. Children started arriving in a few years, John, Vaughan and Judy.  A medical control of Elmer’s asthma was found and it was life changing.  Eileen was an almost unimaginably busy young woman, at one point managing a home containing three children, a live­in hired man and boarding the local school teacher in a house shared with Elmer’s parents. She did it with grace and good humour. Like her mother, Eileen enjoyed an aptitude for entertaining. Meals, always good, were consistently special on Sundays, particularly in presentation. Eileen became a 4­H leader and was a talented seamstress; wherever did she find the time?

Family driving vacations every few years, always to the mountains, became family highlights. As the children became less dependent, dancing became a big part of Eileen and Elmer’s lives, first square dancing, later round dancing and finally social ballroom dancing.  With the positive and disarming mindset that if you can walk you can dance, Eileen and Elmer gave many people the gift of social dancing. Elmer became active in municipal politics, eventually serving two terms as the Mayor of Portage la Prairie. Eileen was his worthy companion in public life and they were genuinely interested in the people they met.

In retirement, they took up golf and it became a large part of their lives. Many pleasurable days were spent on the links at the Portage Golf Course and they thoroughly enjoyed the friendships they developed there. Winters were for dancing – six nights a week at one point.  Summers were for gardening and golf. They regularly took spring and autumn vacations to the interior of BC to extend the Portage golfing season by three weeks on each end.

Eileen and Elmer were a devoted couple; they enjoyed a life­long love affair and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary by hosting a dance party shared with family and friends.  It was a cherished memory, lots of tired feet the next morning.

All of her life, mum derived huge pleasure from her children, John (Thabo Mosendane), Vaughan (Judy), and Judy (Ray Steen), their lives and those of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. To the very end, mum loved being surrounded by family, especially in multi­generational groupings, listening to normal conversational chatter or participating in serious one on one discussion. In recent years, deprived of normal eyesight by macular degeneration and her body ravaged by osteoporosis but sustained by increasingly remarkable hearing and unfailing mental acuity, Eileen maintained a remarkably positive attitude and gritty determination to live. She derived great pleasure and satisfaction from the seemingly little life had to offer. She was endlessly interested in the details of the lives of her family and completely disinterested in wasting time talking about the challenges she faced when there were so many interesting things to think and talk about.

Mum, go with our heartfelt thanks and enduring appreciation for all you have done for us over the years. You set an amazing standard for being a little old lady  (in appearance only) to the end, vital and energetic in mind and heart. Until we meet again, rest in peace, dear soul.

The family wishes to express our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the many people who touched the life of our mother in recent years. She genuinely appreciated your life affirming interactions and we appreciate your many kindnesses.  Humility may cause some to protest that you were only doing your job; we know better.

A Celebration of Eileen’s Life will be held at Trinity United Church, Portage la Prairie, on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at 2:00 pm, led by Rev. Julie Baker.  Reception will follow in the lower auditorium at the church followed by a family interment at Evergreen Memorial Gardens.

As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Eileen’s memory to the CNIB, Donations Processing Centre, PO Box 32002, Stn. Brm. B, Toronto, ON, M7Y 5R2, or a charity of one’s choice.

A tree will be planted in memory and cared for by McKenzies Portage Funeral Chapel, 204­857­4021, www.mckenziesportagefuneralchapel.com