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Corinne Olive Sainsbury (nee Mitchell) and Lawrence Alton Sainsbury, of Victoria, BC, passed away on January 2 and January 4, 2018, respectively. A Memorial Service will be held for them at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 680 Courtney Street, Victoria on Saturday, January 27, 2018, at 1 pm, followed by a reception at the church from 2 – 4 pm. Interment will be at a private ceremony at Royal Oak Burial Park.
Corinne and Lawrence are survived by their three children, Lawrence Robert (Bridget Beeching) of Victoria, BC, Suzanne Lillian (Roland Wright) of North Vancouver, BC and Stephen Frank (Sandra Brenton), of Barrie, ON; by their seven grandchildren, Lorna Catherine Sainsbury of Victoria, Benjamin William Sainsbury of Victoria, Mellissa Corinne Wright of Ottawa, Peter Arthur Wright of Calgary, David Lawrence Wright of Toronto, Whelena Maureen Sainsbury of Toronto and Grace Marion Sainsbury of Toronto; and by their four great-grandchildren, Justin Leclerc-Wright, Noah Leclerc-Wright, both of Ottawa, William Wright of Toronto and Jasper Wong of Toronto.
Corinne was born on December 12, 1927, in Joggins, NS, the daughter of Lillian and Arthur Mitchell, both deceased. She is survived by her younger siblings, Gloria Stott (of Victoria) and Carl Mitchell (of Toronto). Lawrence was born on April 2, 1924, in Amherst, NS, the fourth child (of nine) of Evelyn and Frank Sainsbury, both deceased. Lawrence was predeceased by all of his siblings: Vaughan, Marjorie, Jean, Dorothy, June, Harry, John, and Gerald.
Their story is a love story, spanning the decades. They met at a Sadie Hawkins dance and from
that moment on a future together beckoned. They were married on August 20, 1946, at Amherst, NS. In Corinne, Lawrence saw beauty, diligence, and strength of character; in Lawrence, Corinne saw determination, kindness and that same strength of character; their life together was distinguished by love, by hard-work, by good humour, and by generosity to all, both spiritual and material.
Corinne was a homemaker extraordinaire. In addition to her household pursuits (which were many and varied), she was prominent in the Girl Guides of Canada, rising to the rank of Division Commissioner in Ottawa. She was a collector of all small things exotic and interesting, and also of books. Indeed, Corinne’s greatest passion was for books, which eventually became the centre of her and Lawrence’s life together.
Lawrence joined the Air Force during World War II and was trained as a navigator. After the war he went to Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB and then to Nova Scotia Technical College in Halifax, NS (now part of Dalhousie University), graduating in 1950 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He then pursued a career as an officer in the Canadian Army, rising to the rank of Major, and serving in many locations over the following 20+ years, including Camp Borden, ON, Shilo, MB, Washington, DC, Halifax, NS, England, and Ottawa. After the army he joined Canada Post, rising to the position of Director of Engineering at the head office in Ottawa, before retiring in 1985 and moving to Victoria, BC.
In Victoria Corinne and Lawrence indulged their long-held interest in books, opening and managing Yesteryear Books on Fort Street for more than ten years. Of all the happy years they shared, these were, perhaps, the happiest. For the first time in their lives, they were able to go to and from work together, merging their personal lives with a business both loved. When the bookstore became too much for them, they sold it, but nevertheless continued to collect books as the new century dawned.
Each of their children and grandchildren has cherished memories of them, memories of family gatherings, of Corinne’s meals, of cottage life on the Northumberland Strait and in the Gatineau Hills, of that shovel with their bathing suits hanging on it, of Lawrence’s desire for a birth month rather than a birth day celebration, of Christmas stocking riddles and the need to attend all Christmas bazaars in order to fulfil the “duty” to sample all culinary products, of time spent with them at Yellow Point Lodge and in Hawaii, and of ALWAYS being there when you needed to talk. They were, quite simply, the best. We will miss them forever.
No flowers, please. Donations in their name may be made to the Pacific Alzheimer Research Foundation parf.ca/ and will be gratefully appreciated by the family.
The family wishes to express their sincere thanks to the staff at Douglas Care and Hart House.
Condolences may be offered to the family below.
McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Corinne and Lawrence Sainsbury 1927 Jan. 2 2018 1924 Jan. 4 2018.source
Décès pour la Ville: Victoria, Province: Colombie britanique
