Fiona Giles

It is with great sadness that we announce the peaceful passing of Fiona Giles,

beloved mother, grandmother and friend.

Predeceased by her husband Fred, her parents, Rina and Donald Kerr and

brother Donald, Fiona is survived by son Ian (Jennifer), grandson, Aiden;

daughter Susan (Steven) and grandsons Myles and Graeme.

Born in Nottingham, England, Fiona attended boarding school in the Lake

District and later, secretarial college. Soon after, adventurous Fiona and best

friend, Ruth, arrived in Vancouver, seeking new opportunities. Fiona met Fred, a

fellow Brit, while playing badminton at St. Mary's Church in Kerrisdale. They

married in 1960, later settling in idyllic Whytecliff in West Vancouver where they

raised their family.

Fiona was a devoted mum and homemaker who baked her own bread every

week, picked homegrown vegetables and bottled and preserved all the fruits

from her incredible garden. She was a very hard worker, strong and capable of

any physical challenge, be it trustily paddling the canoe while Fred flyfished,

helping winch the Landrover down a snowy mountain or tarring a roof!

In 1990, now empty nesters, Fiona and Fred left Vancouver to build their dream

house on the waterfront at Wilson Creek where Fiona had the delight of building

a flower garden from scratch! In time, the couple moved further up the Sunshine

Coast to Madeira Park to yet another lovely spot, on a lake. When Fred died in

2008, Fiona chose to remain on the Coast at Port Stalashen, thus beginning a

fulfilling decade of independence filled with new friendships, bridge, book club

and volunteering at the Thrift Store. In 2018, Fiona returned to Vancouver,

spending her last years happily living with Ian and Jen, enjoying the pleasure of

Laurie's company and having Susan and family nearby.

Though 69 years in Canada, Fiona never quite lost her "British-ness". The most

self-disciplined person we will ever meet, Fiona embodied that generation with

her pluck, her pragmatism and her unflagging cheerfulness. She was vivacious,

had a legendary appetite, loved classical music, books and maps and to the end,

was curious and interested in the world around her. Sweet, kind and generous

Fiona will be sorely missed by friends near and far- in particular Sue in Scotland and

 Ruth in England- as well as by her loving family.

The family wish to thank the wonderful team on the palliative ward at St. Paul's Hospital for their skilled and compassionate care.

No service by request.