The world has lost a beautiful soul and God has gained a beautiful person to be held in his arms.
I am saddened to have to announce that we have lost the beloved leader of our family: A great Mother, Grandmother and Great Grandmother, Lillian Mable Smitheman (McGouran) passed away at 7:38 p.m. on Thursday January 21, 2021. At about eight years old the family moved to the Montreal Island settling in Valois on the West Island. She worked for her parents in their “Black and White” Restaurant. She then worked at McDermotts Pharmacy then to the A&P Grocery Store. Lillian left the A&P and went to work at what would turn out to be her career at the Bank of Montreal. Lillian worked at the BMO Valois until 1980 when her and Bill would move to Calgary to be closer to her family. She started at BMO downtown Calgary, moved eventually to the Market Mall Branch and would be promoted to a Branch Manager in Acme, Alberta. She took early retirement in 1990 to care for her husband Bill who was seriously ill. She loved working in her little backyard garden when she wasn’t caring for Bill. Lillian moved to Kelowna in 2007 with Harold and Kathy. She enjoyed living in Kelowna, especially with the warmer winters, but she missed her friends, so in 2012 she decided to move back to Alberta. She chose to reside in Linden to be close to her many friends from the area. In 2012 after only being back in Alberta for a couple of months she fell and broke her hip and was taken to Three Hills Hospital and had hip replacement surgery in the Red Deer Regional Hospital. She soon developed a life-threatening blood infection and over the course of a month had several procedures to try and stop the infection. The end result was to remove the new hip implant, leaving her with no hip. Needless to say, it was a long road back to better health. Lillian, being confined to a wheelchair, required more care on a daily basis, then then moved to Rosefield Care Centre in Innisfail, Alberta. She has lived there for eight years and grew to love Rosefield and the staff. There is no doubt that it is one of if not the BEST long term care facilities in Alberta. In October of 2020 she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a nice way of saying cancer!! There was nothing that could be done by then and they told us she had about three to six months to live. All that could be done was to keep her comfortable. Upon hearing this, the staff seemed to kick it up a notch and just swarmed her with care. She grew to love the staff like her second family, as did most of the staff. We would especially like to thank Dr. Chauhan, Sean Slaney, Manager at Rosefield, Kerry, Jolene, Diana, Lorna, Rachel, Pam, Melissa, TJ, Bliss, Linda, Brandy, Lorin and so many more that I have to apologize to for not remembering all of your names. You all showed our Mom so much love and compassion you are a huge credit to your profession, and Rosefield. She couldn’t have been in a better place. As mom has requested, there will be no visitation; she will be cremtated and in the spring a small Graveside Family Memorial Service will be held, where she will be interred with her late husband Bill at the Irricana Cemetery. She is survived by her son Harold (Kathy) and her daughter Ann (Alastair), her grandchildren, Sean Johnston (Suzanne), Kimberley (Arron), David (Terri), Steven (Jess), Elliott, Ryan (Shelley), Andrew (Courtney) great grandchildren, Owen, Connor, Alysse, Madison, Avery, Samuel, McKinley, Renley, Olive and Braxton. She is also survived by her younger sister Gladys and numerous nieces and nephews. Also surviving her is her best friend and Pastor Lavinia West. Mother couldn’t have a better friend than Lavinia. She sat up with her all night, took her on outings, when it was allowed, whether to get her hair done or go to the local Legion to have fish and chips and of course a double Caesar!! Lavinia you made her life so much better. Lillian was predeceased by her husband William Jr. ‘Bill’, her parents, Harold (Pop) McGouran and Rachel McGouran, her sisters; Dorothy (Dolly) and Margaret.Condolences may be sent or viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd. 4415 – 49 Street Innisfail, Alberta
Phone: 403.227.0006 Fax: 403.227.6437

 

• Date : 2021-01-26
• Location : www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com Innisfail/Olds/Sundre/Didsbury