May 21, 1976 – September 5, 2010

It is with great sadness we announce the loss of our Shelly after her courageous battle with cancer. She faced her entire journey with bravery, dignity and strength.

Shelly’s life took many interesting paths, from Kelowna through the Netherlands, Vancouver and Canmore before settling in Victoria. She found her passion at UVic pursuing her Master’s Degree in End of Life Care while also working at the Centre on Aging. Everywhere she stopped, she discovered many beautiful people that brought her so much joy. We will always remember her loyalty, her sparkly and loving personality as well as her courage and strength.

Shelly was pre-deceased by her father George, and is survived by her mother Alvina and her brother Shane.

Alvina and Shane extend our appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Leah Norgrove, Dr. MacLean and all their staff for the exceptional care they gave Shelly, as well as family, friends and Shelly’s co-workers who helped support us through this trying time.

A celebration of Shelly’s life will be held on October 30, 2010 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm at the University Club on the University of Victoria campus (http://club.uvic.ca/pages/about.html). Please RSVP to asenft@uvic.ca (250-721-6290) if you will be attending. Any shared memories of Shelly will be welcome.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice, or to the Elder Care Foundation (Lori.Mcleod@viha.ca 250-370-5646) who so kindly provided a grant to Shelly for her research.

  • Lara Schultz

    Shelly, my most beauty-full light….you know you were and always will be one of my closest and most cherished friends and a chosen part of my family. You shared your wisdom, care, and laughter with such generosity and I am a better person for having the amazing privilege of knowing you. Thank you for loving me without judgment and for teaching me how to see the world with a little more sunshine. You were always the optimism to my pessimism and I promise to carry your positiveness and phenomenal trust forward. I feel you everywhere now and know that your dazzling energy and gentle spirit will continue to touch the innumerable lives that you graced with your loveable presence, ready smile, amazing hugs, and easy laughter. You are missed immeasurably. I adore you and treasure you evermore. Shine on my dearest friend.

    Alvina and Shane,
    I am so saddened by the loss of your lovely Shelly. Shelly always spoke of her family with such love. I want to thank you for sharing her with me. Shelly shone brighter than she ever knew. I am here for both of you for anything and I care very much about you.

  • Carren Dujela

    Dear Alvina & Shane, Shelley was a wonderful person who offered strength and happiness to others in ways I am not sure she even understood. My sincere sympathies for your loss, Carren

  • Kimberley Irwin

    Mrs. Waskiewich and Shane,
    I would like to extend my condolences to you both on the recent passing of Shelley. I enjoyed our high school years of friendship and feel blessed to have known her. She will be missed.

    Sincerely, Kimberley Irwin

  • Deb Carere

    Dear Alvina and Shane;

    I had the opportunity to share a day with Shelley while visiting Victoria in August. As you know Shelley lived with my mom Barbara while she was going to University. She was apart of our family, a huge part of my mom’s.

    She has always lite up the room that she entered and lite up the heart and lives of those of us who had the honor of knowing her.

    Her bubbly laugh, gorgeous smile, sincere opinion and love of her fellow human being was part of what made Shelley the person we all loved.

    The morning that you and Shelley’s circle of friends met at the beach I too was in the circle as I sat on my porch in New Zealand embraced by the light of the moon and the shine of the stars overhead. Tonight I feel that same power of her love shining down on us all.

    She will forever be in my heart… she was so precious.

    My love to you both.

    Deb Carere

  • Catherine

    Shelly was light, laughter and sunshine all rolled into one delightful package. She was a kindred spirit who loved tap dancing and musicals but who also had a depth of thought and concern for others. We never got to see each other as much as I would have liked, but the times we came together are now treasured memories I will always carry with me. I miss you dear and lovely friend.

    My sincere condolences to Alvina and Shane – warm embraces to you both.
    Love,
    Catherine Carter Clark – her “jazzy hand friend”

  • Ron and Janet Rau

    Dear Aunty Alvina and Shane,

    We were so deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Shelly. Our thoughts are with the two of you during this difficult time. Shelly was such a wondrful person who could light up a room with her smile alone.
    She will certainly be missed by all who were lucky enough to have known her.

    Love to you both.

    Ron and Janet Rau

  • Charlotte Short (Soper)

    I am so saddened to hear the news of Shelly’s passing. My siblings and I grew up with Shane and Shelley and spent many an hour playing together in Kelowna while our parents visited. My thoughts and prayers go out to you, Alvina and Shane through this very difficult time. I will always remember Shelly’s wonderful smile!

    Love to you both,
    Charlotte

  • Janet Love

    Where do you ever begin. Shelly was one of my best friends. We use to talk almost nightly about life and love and all the rest that goes with it. What do I most remember about her. I remember her saying to me when I said an outlandish statement….. REALLY!

    It might seem corny ….but we had Paris….and then we had Barcelona. I know Shane shook his head at us as we erupted into giggles that just could not stop.

    Three weeks before Shelly died we had an amazing half an hour, chatting and having a smoothie and then I walked her to the bus stop. For me, it is my last memory and one I will treasure forever.

    The world is less without Shelly today, but we are better because she was part of our lives. It does not take away our pain as we are left with a hole that should not be there.

    I strive to be more like her because I believe with every part of me that if the people in world were more like her, it would be a better place. I hope one day I can be as good a person as she was.

    I can not begin to even understand the grief that you her mother Alvina and you her brother Shane are going through and I am so sorry for your loss. There are no words to express. I am sorry but so thankful that I had Shelly as part of my life.

  • Debbie Bender

    Dear Aunty & Shane,

    Words cannot express the depth of the sympathy felt for you by our family. I can’t imagine the tears shed by you as I have shed so many of my own for my dear “baby cousin”, as I so oftened referred to her as. I am in “shock & awe” of the loss of dear Shelly. In “shock” that we all lost her so quickly without the chance to see & laugh with her one more time and in “awe” of all the beautiful thoughts and feelings of others as posted on here, although we already knew that about her too. Shelly truly was a precious gem, a one in a million! She will definitely be missed and never, ever forgotten.

    Rest in peace dear Shelly and say “Hi” to Uncle George for us all.
    Please know Aunty and Shane, that we are all truly grieving your loss with you, today and forever.

    Love to you always,
    Dave & Debbie, Trina & Duane (Jayce/Jaxon), Dayna & Dale

  • Shauna Lyon

    Shelly, you were such a beautiful person, both inside and out. You have forever touched my life. I look back and smile at all of the great memories we have had. There are so many from when we were kids, all the way up to this year. You were a true friend and words cannot express how much I will miss you. You will always be in my heart!

    Alvina and Shane, I am so sorry for your loss. I have always known that you were a close family, but the past few years have taught me how close you really are. I love the great sense of humour that you all share and the fierce love for one another. I would love to stay in touch.

  • Claire Caffrey

    Rest in Peace Shelly.

    You are dearly missed.

    Love, Claire, Darren, Mia & Liam x

  • Bernie and Yvette

    Alvina and Shayne….we are so very sorry for the loss of your daughter, sister…. our thoughts and prayers are with you.

  • Christine Lepine

    Shelly will be truly missed by all the lives she has touched and had yet to touch as she was so loving and kind to everyone. She always had a smile on her beautiful face that could brighten anyones worst day. I am so thankful to have had that time together this summer, what a wonderful memory I have of her. You will be forever in my heart and mind.

    Your Big Cousin Christine

  • Elaine Gallagher

    I want to convey my sympathy to Shelly’s family and close friends. She was an amazing young woman who touched many of us in quite special ways. She housesat for me and cared for my birds and dog Rocky. He adored her and when I brought him up to the Centre on Aging, he would get very excited and make a beeline for Shelly’s office. The next scene would be her down on the floor hugging him. We will miss her.

  • Lindsay Cassie

    Shelly filled her space with joy, exuberance, enthusiasm and love. I have many memories of her laughter floating down the Centre on Aging hallway brightening up our day. I smile when I remember her showing me a video taken on her cell phone of Alvina and her jumping up and down on the trampoline in her backyard. It is then that I began to understand where she learned her sense of fun from!

    I was not a close friend of Shelly’s..only a work colleague, yet she influenced me profoundly. Thank you Shelly for teaching me so much. I will keep the letters you shared. They will always remind me to:

    Celebrate – live and love life to the fullest
    Plan exciting things to do
    Stay positive and go the Ice Cream Intervention Route when needed.
    Work as a team
    Be a Rock for others
    Look for the Gifts each day
    Enjoy the Moment
    Don’t put off sharing something you want to share with others
    Pay it Forward

    Shelly is a bright star in my sky and I will set my compass to her when I get lost, need a kick in the pants, or when I face adversity. In the too short of time she was here, she shared so much of her beauty and made the world a much better place for all of us. You are an amazing family. My thoughts are with you and I send my deepest condolences.

  • Julie Shaver

    Shelly was truly one of the most thoughtful, caring, enjoyable, intelligent, witty, compassionate, creative, beautiful, AMAZING individuals I have ever had the pleasure of calling my friend. She was a true gem.

    Sending love and light to Alvina and Shane…and to all those who had absolute privilege of knowing Shelly…for we will all miss her smile and the absolute beauty of her spirit. If love could have saved her, she would have lived forever!

    Love,
    Julie xo

  • Adam and Tara

    Aunty and Shane,

    Shelly was the most loveable person we’ve ever met. We could all stand to put a little “Shelly ” into our lives because it would make all of us better people. She was the sun on a cloudy day and her frown was always turned upside down! 🙂 We wish that we had spent more time with her, but will treasure each and every memory we have of her.
    We hope you both know that you were amazing support to Shelly during her fight, she couldn’t have asked for a more loving family. Please remember that we are only a phone call and a quick drive or flight away if you need anything.

    We love you.
    Adam and Tara

  • Heather Cook

    I met Shelley through her work with the UVic Centre of Aging, and I loved her enthusiasm, gigantic smile and even bigger heart from the first moment we met. She was a delightful, talented and caring individual, and will be greatly missed, most of all by her family, whom she spoke of with pride.

    Please accept my sincere apologies in your loss.

    Heather Cook

  • Ray and Olga Plamondon

    She was a lovely girl and we were so lucky to have known her and had her in our lifes be it for such a short time, She is greatly missed by us and we will always cherish the moments we had with her.
    Thank-you for sharing her with us Alvina and Shane and we will always be here for you.
    All our love always
    Ray and Olga

  • Shelley, Matt, Abbigale and Emelia

    Shelly
    Because you were my friend,
    my life has been enriched in a myriad of ways.
    Like a cool breeze on a sweltering day,
    like a ray of sunshine parting glowering clouds,
    you lifted me up.
    In good times, we soared,
    like weightless balloons
    over neon rainbows.
    In bad times, you were soothing balm
    for my pummeled soul.
    I learned so much from you;
    you helped me see old things in new ways.
    I wonder if you were aware
    of the bright seeds you sowed in me.
    I’m a better person for knowing you,
    so that everyone I interact with
    is touched by your good effect on me.
    You relaxed me, refreshed me, renewed me.
    Your bounteous heart enveloped me
    in joy and love and peace.
    Your life was filled
    with dazzling blessings,
    just as I am blessed
    by being your friend.
    You will live on in my heart.

    Alvina and Shane – I am filled with gratitude to have spent time with you earlier this month and my heart aches for your loss. You are forever in my heart and part of my chosen family. I love you both and please know that you can count on me for anything that you may need – just ask.

    Love, Shelley B

Leave Condolence

Type your condolence message into the box below and click "Submit". It may take up to 24 hours for it to appear. Your email address will not be published.

*

Search Website

ESTATE PLANNING SEMINAR