June 17, 1934 - September 14, 2018
It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Erna Lillian Sloan who died peacefully in her Chemainus BC home on September 14, 2018 at age 84, surrounded by her children Tara, Tod and Tracy. We know she is at peace, in a better place reunited with her loving husband Gene.
Born on June 17, 1934 in Vidora Saskatchewan, Erna grew up in Shaunavon where she lived until meeting and marrying Swan Valley's Norman Gene Sloan in 1953. They lived in the Calgary/Cochrane areas for most of their lives while raising their family prior to building a retirement home and moving to Vancouver Island in 2006. Gene's workshop and Alberta winters were exchanged for prawning, crabbing and oysters, and Chemainus afforded Erna a much friendlier pursuit of her passion for gardening.
Erna loved her oceanfront home. Her yard and garden were both her hobby and her passion. Erna also loved sewing, quilting, reading (could read a book a day), and in earlier years, travel. Erna enjoyed family trips to France, Mexico, Czech Republic, Hawaii and her favorite country Italy, which she described as a place that was hard to explain but got into your soul. Over the last few years, she traded her long-haul flights in for much shorter airtime, landing in sunny Palm Springs joining Tracy for the winter.
Erna was pre-deceased by her husband Gene in 2008 and is survived by her children Tara Brister (Matt), Tod Sloan (Renee) and Tracy Kinch (Doug), 8 grandchildren Shane, Chelsea, Chase, Emily, Danica, Liam, Kyle, Cody, and 8 great grandchildren Makenna, Declan, Sloan, Clara, Bennett, Ellie, Payton, and Cora.
Mom/Gramma/GG will be greatly missed by all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and also by her sister Carol Grubel, her longtime friend of 80+ years Pat Olson, and her Chemainus friends.
Cremation has taken place and her family will be gathering for a private celebration of life October 27, 2018.