Marilyn Jasper

Marilyn May Arnold Jasper

(nee Arnold)

It is with great sadness we announce the death of Marilyn Arnold Jasper on Thursday, December 20, 2012 in Portage la Prairie at the age of 70.

She will be lovingly remembered and greatly missed by her son Guy Moffat, granddaughters Jayda and Katelyn, and many more.

My mom, without effort has touched the lives of so many, and will be missed by all. This is very apparent from looking through her facebook, and seeing that many of her friends that had re-posted the news of her passing, only to receive condolences for their loss. As well, there have been many stories and fond memories shared through many facebook pages. I want everyone to know that mom held all of those moments and memories very dear and shared them often, from the meals with friends to mending and making dresses.

My mom Marilyn was born in Deloraine, Manitoba and grew up in the Southwest corner of Manitoba. She relocated many times throughout southwestern Manitoba with Ted and Dot her parents and sisters Betty and Judy. After graduating high school she attended Brandon University and earned her credentials to start teaching; which she did in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Ontario. She married my dad, Michael Moffat in 1962. After I was born in 1970, her attention was turned to raising her family, and she did not return to teaching until after I graduated and had moved out to start my adult life. During that time she found new careers, such as owning and operating Arnolds' Market in Deloraine with her sister Betty, and cooking in a restaurant setting. In 1989 she returned to her love of teaching and moved to Northern Manitoba to resume her teaching career in Red Sucker Lake. Mom continued to teach in Northern Manitoba in various places such as Berens River and Oxford House. Mom returned south in the mid 1990's and started a couple of new ventures. Being the person she is, she saw the need of those in the north and started a personalized shopping service for people who lived in isolated communities. The Thistle Stop Bed and Breakfast at Sharpe Lake gave her another opportunity to showcase her kind and generous spirit. Brian Jasper and Marilyn married in 1995 and purchased Holiday Hills at Lake Metigoshe. Holiday Hills became a love of her's because of the many people she was able to develop great friendships with. The business expanded to include a restaurant and cabin rentals. Mom then returned to teaching in the late 1990's at Oxford House, Manitoba until being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 and chose to retire a year before she would have liked. In 2007 mom joined Big Brothers and Sisters of Portage La Prairie as a case worker and immersed herself in that program and the community.

To say that my mom had passion would be an understatement, and that passion was for many things, first and foremost family, but painting, teaching, sharing, laughing, loving, and an intense commitment for her "littles". I had to smile when on Tuesday, December 18th we were headed to Winnipeg by ambulance in an attempt to identify her shortness of breath my mom was trying to recruit one of the ambulance attendants to become a Big Brother, but that is the person mom is.

Memorial Service will be held at the Herman Prior Centre on Friday, December 28, 2012 at 2:00 pm.

As expressions of sympathy, if friends so wish, donations may be made in Marilyn's memory to Big Brothers/Big Sisters, 20 Tupper St.N, Portage la Prairie, MB, R1N 1W8.

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