Aileen Marjorie Josephine Marie Devlin was born September 2nd , 1927 in Calder Saskatchewan and passed away peacefully on October 23 2018 in her 91 st year at her home in Mt. Cartier Care Cottages with loving family at her side.
She leaves behind her brother in law Barrymore Camozzi, many cousins and dear friends, numerous nephews and nieces and their families. All of whom loved her and felt the positive impact she had on their lives.
Aileen was born at the time of fall harvest and it was tradition for the priest and nuns to join in with neighbours to help each other to get the crops in. Aileen was the fourth born child to Marie Barbara Loewen and Walter Patrick Devlin. Thinking she was the last child they would have, they named her after all the nuns there to bring in the harvest. (Little did they know then that little Elinor Therese Devlin would be born 5 years later.)
Aileen was extremely intelligent and began schooling at the one room school house on the prairie a year early. She wished her mother had made her wait as this way she was in the same grade as her older sister Bernice and so from Grade 1 forward throughout all the school years her sister came in second for grades while Aileen topped the class. She always thought of others’ feelings. Mom once bought her a plate with the well- known bible verse “Blessed are the Peacemakers”. This was so true of our Aileen.
Aileen was a career woman. After completing high school her plans had been to join her siblings in the army, but the war was over by then so with her mother’s influence off she went for a year of training at Normal School, to become a school teacher. It was in a one room school house and not easy as half the class would disappear come harvest time. She gave that up and moved to Revelstoke to be near her Uncle Bud (Gilbert) and Aunt Ellen Loewen and her brother Walter Francis and many cousins who had already settled after leaving the farms in Saskatchewan. She made good friends with the couple across from her apartment downtown Revelstoke Miki (Jim) and enjoyed little Ricky Lally who lived across the hall.
She spent a number of years working for the telephone office. As a person with an enquiring mind and a news junkie as well, this was a perfect job for her. Cousin Rosanne Loewen shared that she would ring up to Aileen her cousin operator and ask where her mom, Ellen, might be and Aunt would tell her “Your mom is at your Aunt Eda’s now go home and she’ll be there shortly.” LOL. Aileen later moved to live in the Harmony Lodge rooming house that Lil Waby owned and after her sister, Elinor graduated high school she moved in with her. These years were very special to both sisters. They loved Lil and Aileen bought Christmas gifts for her grandchildren right to their adulthood.
Around 1960, Aileen decided to make a move to Calgary where her brother Art & Aileen Devlin family lived and enjoyed her time being part of their lives as sister and Aunt. She began working for the Hudson Bay Company where she became a dedicated and loyal employee. Aileen worked directly with the Comptrollers office until her retirement October 1 st , 1992 after 32 years of service. In Centennial year, 1967, she set the goal of stopping smoking and getting her drivers license and accomplished both.
Her first car was a sporty black Corvair, next a red Datsun and last a green Neon. Many a trip she drove but her driving was not for the faint of heart as anyone who spent any time with her as a passenger will attest. Long before GPS, her car console was covered with the cardboard liners of nylon stockings with printed directions for every place she frequented. She stayed close with many work friends and their families became household names and family to us too …Lydia, Lynn, Claire, Pridham to name a few.
Living right downtown, she was a lover of everything Calgary. From the Zoo, to the Flames and Stampeders, the big sky and the Chinooks, the LRT and the Olympics, the Tower and Stephen Avenue. She donated time to Meals on Wheels and Hospital Auxiliary and to the care of aged friends, Claire Dobbin and Freda Morris until their passing. All her years in Calgary she spent summer and Christmas vacations in Revelstoke at her sister Elinor’s and was able to visit her sister Bernice and family in Ontario over the years as well. If invited to an important event; she did her best to attend. She lived the power of saying YES. As recently as this August, for lack of other options, family resorted to taking her by wheelchair in the back of her nephew’s truck to have her attend the Devlin Family Reunion. She loved a party, and a cold beer on a hot day especially on Canada Day was enjoyed as well.
She moved back to Revelstoke around 2004 as opportunity presented itself to live in a triplex her niece Lisa and Frank Fik purchased on 2nd street and she enjoyed being close to all her Revelstoke family again. She attended church and played cards with the seniors and enjoyed being a part of family close by. Next move was with her niece, Lisa and Frank Fik to her specially made independent suite at Alpenrose Bed and Breakfast. There she enjoyed being a greeter and sharing tea with travellers from around the world as well as being close to her niece Lisa who loved her dearly. When more care was needed she stayed at Moberly Manor in a lovely suite with a view of Mt. Begbie and the school yard across the street where there was always entertainment. Her final home and last 3 years were at Mt Cartier Care Cottages. Her best times there were when family came to visit.
Aileen will be remembered for her strong faith in God and her love of family and friends. Single all her life, she made time to be a positive influence in all her families and friends’ lives. She will be remembered for many things including her big joyful smile and beauty that shone inside and out. Aileen loved games and cards and Barry will attest that she
knew the lyrics to most any song you asked of her. Aileen was a fashionista complete with sunglasses and lipstick, nail polish, gold earrings and leopard skin prints. Aileen loved elephants and had a vast collection of them. She loved movies and movie stars and went to the theatre when ever she could. Later in life she decided The Sound of Music was the best movie ever made so watched it again and again. She was accomplished at sewing, knitting and crochet, and was an avid reader. She was the Aunt that brought great gifts when she came to visit like Mad Magazines and back seat
drivers’ licences and all things K-Tel. She took credit for teaching all her nieces and nephews cribbage and loved to play to the end. She was the best trivial pursuit partner.
She loved all games and taught us many a fun and happy tune on road trips…like on top of spaghetti, ate an apple, aloutte but not the version you are familiar with. This one went Alouette smoke a cigarette~a. She had a love for Fall and its colors, so it is fitting she says goodbye as the Autumn leaves fall. When her sister Elinor Camozzi passed last October her last wish was to go with her too. A year and one day later she got her wish as she joins the family that went before her, parents, and siblings, Arthur, Walter, Bernice as well as many cousins and nieces and nephews.
Prayers will be recited from St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, Revelstoke, on Friday, October 26 th , at 7:00 p.m., followed by the Mass of Christian Burial on Saturday, October 27th , at 1:00 p.m. with Father Cecil Nunez officiating.
Messages of sympathy may be sent to Aileen’s family by viewing her obituary at: www.brandonbowersfuneralhome.com.
Cremation arrangements are in the care of Brandon Bowers Funeral Home, Revelstoke.
We love you Aunt and we will miss you but never forget you. You were our Sunshine!
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