Violet Marjorie Cruickshank

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Violet Marjorie (Shaw) Cruickshank, on December 20, 2020, just 16 days shy of her 101st birthday.  Violet was born January 5, 1920, in Calgary, Alberta and was the eldest daughter of William Thomas Shaw and Eva Marjorie Hatch. She was predeceased by her older brothers, Edward  and Robert (Bob) Shaw, and her younger sisters, Eleanor Burns and Florence Campbell. 

Violet spent her youth in Picture Butte and later worked at the sugar beet factory, earning 38 cents per hour. In 1940, she and a couple of girlfriends decided to go to a dance at Lethbridge. It was there that she met Norman Laing Cruickshank. Norman and Violet were married on March 29, 1941, in Lethbridge, Alberta and celebrated 72 years of marriage before Norm's passing on July 14, 2013, at the age of 97.  The family lived in Lethbridge, Calgary and Regina prior to moving to Red Deer, Alberta in 1970.

Violet leaves behind their seven children: Brian (Kay), Clark, Diane Lehr, Rob (Betty), Ken, Chris (Carolyn) and Phil (Wendy), and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Violet was a stay-at-home Mother who taught her children the alphabet with flash cards and how to read off of cereal boxes. The kids were taught to respect their elders, to love one another and to always be there for family.  With seven kids money was not plentiful, but there was always food on the table, a clean house and clothes to wear, even if they had patches on the knees! The older kids helped wash and paste-wax the hardwood floors every Saturday and the little ones would put on wool socks and slide down the hallway to polish the floors.  What fun that was for them! At night she would be watching TV while still darning socks or patching blue jeans.  Her work was never done.

Violet was a loving and protective Mother and had an extremely good sense of humour right to the end. Just three weeks  before her death, she was still playing backgammon with her sons and tracking the games played and how many she had won. 

All the children realize and appreciate the sacrifices both of their parents made for them and feel truly blessed to have the parents they did. They all agree they won the "Parent Lottery".

Violet's passing will leave a big hole in the Cruickshank family and she will be truly missed.

A family service will be held at a later date due to the Covid pandemic. Violet and Norman will be laid to rest at a family plot in Lethbridge, Alberta.