September 22,1917 – November 4, 2014 Irma died at 97 at The Lodge at Broadmead in Victoria, B.C., her home for the past five years. Irma was born on a wheat farm in Aneroid, Saskatchewan to parents Edward and Selma Spiess. Irma chose nursing as a career when she finished high school and graduated from Moose Jaw General Hospital. With WWII underway she joined the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and was shipped off to England to train further as a nursing sister. During her time in mobile army hospitals in Holland, France and Belgium a wartime romance unfolded with army doctor, Major Lawrence Hacking. Short periods of leave together in Paris and Brussels furthered their romance and Irma and Lawrie married, settling in Regina to raise their family. In 1955 Irma and Lawrie moved with their three children to Nanaimo, B.C. where Lawrie established the first radiology clinic north of Victoria while Irma cared for the family and undertook a host of volunteer activities. Lawrie died suddenly in 1961 and Irma, overnight a single parent of young children, returned to nursing. She soon was asked to establish and run the Admitting Department at the then “new” Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and took night school business courses to further her management skills. She retired in 1983 but always kept in touch with her “Girls”, the women with whom she worked. The family joke was Irma saying that when she retired she would sell gold – and she did, working at a Nanaimo jewelry store for several years before her second retirement. Irma always said that if she woke up in the morning she had to make something of that day, and she always did, with knitting, pottery, sewing, weaving, gardening, and playing bridge in addition to working. She began to study watercolours, Chinese brush painting and quilling in her late 80’s and was very good. But most of all Irma treasured spending time with her beloved only grandchild, Fraser. Irma was predeceased by her husband Lawrie, her daughter Arlee, her sisters Marie and Amy, her brother George and Lawrie’s son, Robert. Irma is survived by her daughter Wendy (Peter), her son Bruce (Yolanda) her grandson Fraser (Monica), her sister Cora and extended family.
There is no service by request. The BC Cancer Foundation and the Broadmead Care Society would welcome remembrances of Irma.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Bros. Funeral Home
www.mccallbros.com
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