A Celebration of Life: Mary Ottilie Herbert Ible BA. B Ed, Dipl. ECS, MRS, Dr. PHT

February 11, 1943 to December 11, 2025

Mary Ottilie Herbert Ible died as she lived: with fortitude, grace, intelligence, wit, humor, and with a deep abiding love for her family. Her final years were marked by a slow, consuming illness that began with night terrors and a slight tremor in her hand. Eventually, she was diagnosed with Parkinson-like dementia, which gradually eroded her recall of nouns and verbs. She was cognizant that something was wrong and pondered why nothing could be done to help truncate the disease. She partially accepted the events with fortitude.

Lee faced her declining abilities with quiet dignity. Gracefully, she gave up driving, then running, swimming, skiing, painting, writing, puzzles, reading, and even Scrabble—though she never lost her playful spirit. When she won at Scrabble, she’d tease her husband, “I have a higher score because I have a great command of English—I am a Kindergarten teacher.”

As her condition progressed, she was disappointed with professionals who spoke to her condescendingly or ignored her altogether. She’d assert herself firmly: “I am the patient here. Why are you not talking politely to me?” Her intellect remained sharp, even as words slipped away. To combat this, she kept a diary of words and names, forcing herself to remember what she could.

Lee’s family rallied around her. Her two sons cared for her at home when her husband took respite. Video conferencing kept her connected to her children and grandchildren. Community dementia services provided essential support, and she cherished the connections they offered.

Tragically, a fall on her way to a painting class fractured her pelvis, landing her in acute care and, eventually, long-term care. The hospital staff was exceptional, but being confined to a wheelchair took a toll on her body. Her family arranged private therapy and massage. In her 80s, she even took to assisted deep-water exercises at the Innisfail Aquatic Center, a testament to her enduring spirit.

“Marylee”, as she was called in her early years, was born, February 11, 1943, in Toronto to parents, Alice Margaret Milliken Herbert, RN, and Cecil (Ray) Herbert, P. Eng. Her birth was celebrated by her parents and her uncle, Distinguished Flying Cross, Aid de Camp to the 16th Governor General, S E M Milliken, with a “borrowed” Moet & Chandon, Brut Imperial Champagne, 1943, bearing the GG’s stamp.

She was the first of two daughters. Lee lived in Toronto, Hamilton and in Winnipeg, on Victoria Crescent, which was a park-like setting close to The University of Manitoba. She attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart School. During the summer she went to Intervarsity Fellowship Camp at Lake of the Woods, She became a Camp Counsellor, earned chevrons on her ash canoe paddle, and excelled in Red Cross Water Safety and lifeguarding. A library card, swimming and canoeing, ballet and music; riding and shooting were essential to her upbringing. While at university, her sports skills and love of reading gave her quick access to summer employment at the YMCA, It was during her summer jobs that she development a love for teaching.

Lee attended the University of Manitoba, at Saint John’s College, & stayed in the Women’s Residence. In 1962- she met a male student who was totally infatuated with her. He managed to join her in one of her psychology courses and always sat beside her, then bought her coffee afterwards

They had common interests of riding horses, swimming on the University Swim Team and attending The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and The Manitoba Theatre Centre. Students could buy tickets for entire season for $15 Winnipeg was and is a very cultured city. They had differences. Lee enjoyed snow shoeing. Her boyfriend was not as enthusiastic. They went on group dates until she turned 21. On her birthday, Keith, officially, asked her out for a special “commitment” date.

Lee’s father was transferred from Winnipeg to Edmonton as Vice President of CNN Telecommunications. Lee transferred to University of Alberta to continue her education. Keith of course followed Lee to Edmonton and found employment in Data Processing. To be constantly with Lee after work, evening courses were taken. They studied together and he drove her home to Saint Albert. They dated Saturday night and studied on Sunday.

Lee graduated with a B A in Sociology and Psychology and immediately enrolled in the Faculty of Education for a 3-year post degree. Lee was an exceptional education student. Her Advisor wrote letters of recommendation that allowed her to have offers for teaching (without interviews) in Edmonton or Calgary. Keith accepted a position in Calgary and asked her to come with him. “Not without a wedding band” was her virtuous reply. She was married in June 1967 in Saint Albert and it seemed as if half the population of Innisfail came to the Wedding.

The couple worked, Lee as an elementary teacher for the Calgary School Board. They studied at the University of Calgary completing more degrees and enjoying the theatre and the mountains around Calgary. Lee received her Professional Teaching Certificate. Five years later, Lee expressed a desired to have Children and so a critical decision time was: whether to stay in Calgary, or relocate. After several moves, the couple arrived in Innisfail to raise a family of five Children.

For Lee, having 5 children was a great idea. Each birthing was to replace the mother, the father, to grow the nation, to replace once lost to accidents and one for the shear enjoyment. Lee wanted girls to join the family of 3 boys. Lee enjoyed her children and the adventures to where they would lead.

Elementary teachers make the best parents. The family home, her most important classroom hummed with organization and creativity. The chaos of 5 children (3 boys and 2 girls), all active, creative and adventurous became structured. Clothes were laid out and each child dressed themselves, sometimes with substitutions. They learned the trickiness of tying shoes and aligning button on shirts and jackets and mismatched socks and sometimes shoes.

Activities were children led. Christmas gingerbread houses were made by each child: icing spread everywhere and the walls and roofs would eventually collapse so that the houses looked as if they were created by Picasso. Similarly with the Christmas tree. The lights and the tree’s top Angel was the parent’s responsibility. Placement of ornaments, pendulous ropes and icicles were of the children’s doing. The tree was decorated from the bottom up and grew higher each year leaving low hanging ornaments, tangles of ropes and puddles of icicles which created a tree to beholden rather than one to be admired from Home and Garden. The Christmas puzzles grew from 10 pieces to 1000 pieces and story books were read and left for the children to brows.

Activities and culture grew in number and variety. One needed a degree in Operations Research to coordinate the activities and the driving. A lot of laughter was enjoyed. A lot of energy was spent. Lee’s bedtime ritual was to read for 30 minutes one of her many bed-side books, enjoy a good night kiss and quickly fall asleep to re-energize for another day.

When her last child was born Lee returned to teaching at the John Wilson Elementary School where she taught 2- half-day kindergarten classes with up to 30 children in each class. She truly loved teaching children. Lee continued her education by taking graduate courses in Early Childhood Development at U of A and U of C. When one of her co- teachers was laid off, Lee took a part time position enabling the teacher to continue teaching with Lee in a shared class room. A year later, they were both re-employed with full time positions. Lee retired in 2010 and was given a thoughtful, enthusiastic, and sincere send off by the John Wilson Elementary teachers at the Historical Village. Lee was delighted and honored by such a great send off.

LEE gave to the community: by being on the Figure Skating Club, the Rotary Ann Club and the Library Board where she endeavored to read every book in the “stacks”. She danced with Joys School of Dance as did her daughters; she travelled across Canada with her husband, her children and the Alberta Orienteering Team. She enjoyed skiing (Alpine and Nordic), snowshoeing, canoeing, camping (but never sleeping on the cold, cold ground), and swimming. She was a member of the Innisfail Titanics Swim Club. She enjoyed going to the theatre in Red Deer and Calgary. She enjoyed going with The Joy School of Dance across the province to the many dance competitions and viewing the Alberta Ballet. Golf was not for her; she had better things to do like reading. She could read carefully, think critically and communicate articulately thanks to her studies in Humanities

As busy as she was, she enjoyed taking her family to the ski hill condo in Kimberley during spring, summer, winter and fall. It was her holiday and each person had to take a turn at cooking a breakfast, lunch and dinner. Organized she was.

Lee and her two daughters went to Scotland where her daughters danced in the World Championships. For six years she travelled across Canada to The Canadian Figure Skating Championship to watch two of her sons in Ice Dancing and her daughter in Precision Skating. For 10 years, in her 70s, she went across Canada to ski and to support her husband as a member of The Canadian Masters Alpine Ski Team. For six years, she had short holidays in Montreal to visit her children who were studying there. Lee still found time to make quilts for the new Veteran’s Lodge in Edmonton

Lee would often ask if others thought in colours as she did. She would arise and say “I think today is, one of: a red, orange, yellow, blue or indigo day”. She would dress accordingly. Sometimes during the hectic times of preparation for children’s schooling and work, she would re-imagine the color and change her complete wardrobe. It was always enjoyable to watch her re-dress for success. Lee has an oil painting by a Herbert relative. The painting is a panoramic view of Peyto Lake, rugged with mountains, rugged rocks and Cirrus clouds and painted in cold, cold blue. Cold blue is not one of Lee favorite colors. She would put on a thick sweater each time she studied the painting. Lee painted with the Innisfail Art Club

She was an excellent mother to her children, an accomplished cook as was her mother, exquisite table manners (she never left a smudge on her wine glass)’ After eating. the family helped clean up while listening to the CBC and a varied collection of music. Television was not considered, even as a piece of furniture.

A move to the Red Deer County, allowed her to enjoy the riches offered there. The riches included: the scents of her twenty hardy rose bushes, the horses galloping to be near the house to catch the early morning sun and to repeat the galloping in the evening for the sun’s warmth; to be awakened at night by owls, that in early February, hooted to announce their chosen nesting site; to sit outside with her grandchildren and listen to the rolling thunders and count the seconds; to study the stars and the northern lights; to listen to the coyotes who sang at night and in the early morning hours and which were joined, in the singing, by her three dogs; the deer that came to the house to munch the fresh spring grass while the dogs watched from the upper deck; the moose that came up from the creek to destroy the mountain ash by devouring berries and new growth; the two types of wax wings who came in swarms to finish off the berries and of course the numerous bird feeders that attracted spruce grouse, partridges, upside down feeding finches, chirping chickadees, melodious song sparrows, noisy wood peckers, jays scolding for peanuts, cacophonous magpies and crows, that flew away with the dog poop; the house visits by skunks, porcupines, foxes, badgers (that the dogs learned to respect); the offering of mice presented by the cats; the country walks filled with the scent of earth. In her 80’s and confined to her wheel chair she enjoyed the scent of her Canadian Roses, Alberta Ballet and symphonies in Calgary and Red Deer and musical theatre.

The minister’s advice to us upon marriage was to kiss every night before sleeping no matter what happened during the day. Lee expanded the kissing activity to being kissed upon rising, before departing and when returning from the first part of the day’s activities. She was good at kissing.

Life was a success. She measured her life by living like lovers, laughing like children, weeping with sadness, dancing with feeling, relishing stories and ideas over cups of coffee, shared food and warm hugs and asking her husband to turn down the music.

Her joys were simple, soothing, and reflective. Books were everywhere. Her children had to attend to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Camps, as she did.

Death comes slowly when one cannot swallow. The staff, at the Rosefield Centre, was excellent in mitigating pain through her transition. Lee was comfortable. She died after seven days without food and water. While listening to the music from the Nut Cracker, she died in the early morning, in bed, in the arms of her husband. Her last kiss was warm, moist, with eyes open. Seconds later, she stopped breathing; it was a magical moment!

Mary Ottilie Herbert Ible and her husband dreamed, lived a dream, and, now have wonderful memories.

(A poem we studied at U of M, by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, is paraphrased below that expresses, in part, our love)

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach. I love thee purely. I love thee with passion, I love thee with the breath, smiles, tears, of all my life… and if God choose, I shall love thee ….. after death.

Leaving a legacy of love to the community: she is remembered by her husband, Keith, her five children (Christopher, Stefan, Justin, Jenith, Lynnell and their young, loving children), and by her sister, Sherrill, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan. A family gathering was held at the Ranch, to honor her Joi de Vie, and, as at her birth, celebrated with a glass of Champaign, Dom Perignon, that was not borrowed from Government House. Lee was cremated.

Later, in 2026, a Celebration of Life will be held for friends, teachers, co-workers and, if they so choose, past kindergarten students and their moms. If friends so desire, Memorial Donations may be made to the Innisfail Food Bank, Box 6084, Innisfail, Alberta T4G 1S7 Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd., 4415 – 49 Street, Innisfail, Alberta. Phone: 403.227.0006

• Date : 2025-12-27
• Location : (Innisfail) LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED (Red Deer/Blackfalds/Eckville) www.ParklandFuneralHome.com & (Innisfail/Olds/Didsbury/Sundre) www.HeartlandFuneralServices.com