It’s with great sadness we announce the passing of Sylvia Frain on March 31, 2019 in Kelowna, BC.
Sylvia was raised in a wonderful home, full of love, culture, and family heritage. Her parent’s; Sue and Fred Wallace came from Ukrainian and Scottish heritage respectively. They did their best to raise Sylvia and her older sister Susan with a memory for where their families had originated from. Ukrainian Easter eggs and splendid Easter and Christmas dinners were the norm, etiquette and manners the requirement. This did so much for us, her children, when it came to coming up in the world. As a result, we never had problems getting jobs or acceptance into schools. As children we might not have appreciated it quite so much as we do now.
Mom graduated from Lord Byng Secondary school in Vancouver and had a great appreciation for education. Her step-father Fred was an engineer whose influence had an effect on industry in Vancouver. Sylvia decided to get married in her mid-twenties to our biological father John Warn and they went on to raise three children on Vancouver Island and later near Hundred Mile House, and Kelowna, British Columbia. Our mother did everything in her power to provide us children with an appreciation for the wonders of life and constantly encouraged us to get educated or trained in meaningful ways so we could contribute to society as well as support families.
Sylvia, also worked tirelessly to create meaningful organizations such as Kelowna Community Kitchens, where she taught single moms on a fixed budget to shop and cook in healthy ways. These women would meet together once or twice a week to cook and learn and support each other. She also taught an early morning seminary class for 8 years for many kids attending grades 9 through 12. She provided so much joy to all attending kids, including myself (Michael Warn). The influence she had on those kids, myself (Michael Warn), and all of our kids has been incomprehensible.
Family was always the most important focus in our mother’s upbringing and she passed that on to my brother Stephen, my sister Alyssa, and to myself (Michael Warn). This was also reflected in her efforts to hang onto meaningful mementos of our early life. Items such as handmade Christmas cards from our relatively famous Granny Joan (Warn). Other items such as a wooden sword, hand-crafted by her father Fred were used by the Vancouver Theater and remained in our family for many decades as a reminder of her parents. Mom also loved to craft and create, and even into her last years as she lost some hand coordination due to cancer she hung onto her love for creativity.
Many of the gifts that her parents gave to her and ultimately to us were unrecognizable until much later in life. These were the gifts of appreciation, respect, honor, integrity, and dignity that are so lacking in the world today. Most importantly though, was the example of service that her parents set for her, and her for us. They served in many ways in their community and our mother did the same. This need to serve has been reflected in the actions of her children and the careers that we have chosen. Sylvia had a deep devotion to Christ and the Church of Jesus Christ and Latter Day Saints which she joined 39 years ago. Her Book of Mormon was of utmost importance to her and it showed in its marked up, tattered and torn pages.
She married her husband, Patrick Frain, on June 1st/2002. They enjoyed many years together and even got to travel. They shared a love for baseball whether on tv or watching her youngest grandson on the field. Her love for her grandchildren was undying and she yearned to spend time with them in what ever way she could.
She also loved to camp, and garden and enjoy the outdoors whenever she could. Many of the best memories we have of her are set in road trips looking out the window. She loved the fall colors but most importantly she loved being able to share these memories with us children. She will be missed…
She will be remembered lovingly by; Patrick Frain (Husband), Susan (sister), Michael & Elisabeth Warn (son & daughter in law), Stephen Warn (son), Alyssa & Seth Matkin (daughter and son in law), Granchildren Ethan Warn, Charlotte Warn, Nolan Warn, Elias Warn, Blake Morgan (step), Allie Matkin & Mason Matkin.
Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Sylvia-Anne Louise Frain December 29 1946 March 31 2019 (age 72)..
Décès pour la Ville: Kelowna, Province: Colombie britanique