September 22, 1943 - April 20, 2023
In Loving Memory ~
Marva Mae Chandler (née Shortt) passed away on April 20, 2023, at Whitehorse General Hospital in Whitehorse, Yukon.
Marva was born on September 22, 1943, in Calgary, Alberta, to George and Evelyn Shortt, and in her early years, she grew up on a farm just south of Broadcast Hill in what is now Southwest Calgary. In her teen years, she moved into the city, where she attended Western Canada High School.
In 1963, she married John "Sonny" Chandler, and in the following years, she gave birth to son Brett and daughter Temple (lost in infancy to SIDS).
Marva spent her working life in nursing, mostly elder care, working for several years at the Brentwood Nursing Home in Calgary and later in the Nursing Home section of the High River Hospital.
From 1977 to 2000, Marva and Sonny lived in Turner Valley, in a family-built home on the south bank of the Sheep River. They then moved to Ucluelet, British Columbia. There, she finished out her working life as a Commissionaire, guarding the jail for the local RCMP detachment. Her children would joke that this was an especially appropriate position.
Marva was an active volunteer, serving on the Turner Valley Library Board for several years and later on the coast, serving on various community committees and as a Victim Services worker for the RCMP in Ucluelet, BC.
Following the passing of Sonny, she indulged a sense of adventure and moved north to Whitehorse, Yukon, to live with her son Brett and granddaughter Autumn.
Marva was a tireless literacy advocate and a voracious reader who always surrounded herself with enough books to stock a small town library. That library ranged from pulpy Doc Savage sci-fi to her beloved leather-bound Dickens collection. She also had a deep love of theatre, avidly attending plays in whichever community she was living in and even auditioning for a local production shortly before her passing.
Marva was predeceased by her daughter Temple, husband Sonny, sister Jessica LeClaire, and sons Lee and Kevan.
She is survived by her brother Gerald, son Brett, daughter Carry, and grandchildren Ryan, Beth, Sarah, Jesse, Joshua, Kyra, Jada, and Autumn. And her beloved cat, Shoes.
Our deepest thanks to the staff at Whitehorse General Hospital, both on the Medical Unit and in the ICU, who took care of Mom in her final days.
At Marva's request, there will be no memorial service.
Donations in Marva's name can be made to The Knowledge Network at https://www.knowledge.ca/donate/gift-in-memory.