Moira Clare Schulte (née Meredith)

Passed away peacefully at St. John Hospice, Vancouver from advanced metastatic cancer. Beloved mother of Trish and Tina (Christine), warm mother-in-law to Clive, and doting and supportive grandmother to Mallory, Emily and Simon. Predeceased in 2015 by her spouse of 56 years, Frank.

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland as the second-eldest of seven children, Moira emigrated to Montreal at the age of 23, where she met and married Frank in the following year. They moved to Vancouver in 1966 with their oldest daughter, Trish, and fell instantly in love with the city where they made the rest of their lives and where they welcomed their second child, Tina.

Moira’s immense intelligence, her wide range of knowledge and her gift for teaching allowed her to have an impact on many students’ lives. She taught at Crofton House School for 30 years, beginning as the first female physics teacher in British Columbia. She was instrumental in the school’s success at numerous provincial and national science fairs, she developed its AP Chemistry program, and she also set up and ran extra-curricular clubs in photography, video editing and computing when all of these technologies were in their infancy. She was recognised by UBC for having been cited by a significant number of women undergraduate applicants as their inspiration to choose to study science.

Following her retirement, she continued as a telephone and then an online tutor in chemistry, physics and math, as well as providing more general advice and counsel to students on subjects as diverse as Chaucer and bicycle engineering.

Beyond teaching, she was an inveterate gardener and craftsperson. She would always ask for plant cuttings from wherever she visited and nurture them to health in her own garden. She made quilts and clothes for the family – especially the grandchildren – and knitted fantastic sweaters, scarves, and toy animals throughout her life. She also contributed her skills to charity by knitting sweaters for underprivileged children through the Caring Hearts charity. In recent years she enjoyed being part of the “Knit a Bit More” group at Kerrisdale Community Centre, where she specialised in knitting toy animals that were very popular at the shop.

Her achievements were amazing, yet she was always modest. Her family will remember her as our sister, mum, mother-in-law and grandma: always warm, supportive and interested in her family’s lives.

Moira will be cremated in a private ceremony and interred in her husband’s grave. The family plans to hold a Celebration of Life at a future date.

Moira supported a number of charitable enterprises, by donating both her money and her time. In lieu of flowers, please express your memories of Moira by making a donation to the charity of your choice.