Obituary
Ann Roy (Blahy) Foster of Snow Lake, Manitoba passed away peacefully at the Thompson General Hospital on May 6, 2022, after courageously fighting years of cardiac related illness.
Ann Foster, our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and auntie passed away at the age of 69. Ann was born on January 3, 1953, in Atikokan, Ontario, and married John Foster on June 6, 1970. They resided in Atikokan, Ontario, until 1979 and relocated to Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, before settling in Snow Lake, Manitoba in 2002. They were incredibly rich in all the things that matter, and their unwavering love for each other was celebrated at their 50th wedding anniversary in 2020. Ann spent the last several years managing the Diamond Willow Inn in Snow Lake. She could always be found chatting with someone or lending a helping hand. Family was very important to Ann; despite her health, family kept her going, giving her the will and determination to make it to that next occasion. Her family is eternally grateful for how long she was able to hold on and for the memories that they were able to share because of her courage and strength.
Ann will be greatly missed by her husband of 52 years, John Foster of Snow Lake; daughter BobbiLynn Peddle (Claude Joy) of Cranberry Portage; grandchildren Jaida (Dauphin, MB) and Parker (Sky) Peddle of The Pas; and two brothers Mike (Sonya) and Rod (Tammy) Blahy of Winnipeg. She will also be tremendously missed by her nieces and nephews: Andrew and Heidi Blahy of Winnipeg, Jennifer (Lance) McKinna of Brandon, Candace (Joel) Ostash of Shoal Lake, Kyle (Laura) Blahy of Whitehorse, Yukon, Andrea (Darcie) Manns of Killarney, and Shauna Blahy of Shoal Lake, as well as her 8 great nieces and nephews, and many, many friends. She was proceeded in death by her parents, Sam and Ann Blahy.
Special thanks to the staff of Snow Lake Health Centre, and Dr.’s and Staff at the Thompson General Hospital Emergency Ward. A service officiated by Father Paul was held on Wednesday, May 11, 2022, at 1:00 pm at St. Ann’s Catholic Church in Flin Flon. Remembrances and condolences may be emailed to ajfoster@mts.net.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Ann’s name to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Manitoba.
Gone but never forgotten and always missed and loved!
VICHNAYA PAM’YAT.
Good Afternoon,
For those of you who don’t know me my name is Jenn – I am who I always believed to be Ann’s favorite of several nieces and nephews or at least until my cousin Andrew was born. All jokes aside, thank you all for joining my family and I in celebrating the life of my godmother and Aunty, the most giving, strong& stubborn, loving woman I have known. I have to be honest; I have been struggling the last few days to put into words how much Auntie Ann meant to me and I know this is a sentiment shared by everyone here today.
To my Uncle John she was the vibrant woman with “nice boots” that he chose to share is life with every day since June 6th, 1970. She used to lovingly joke that Uncle began his “life sentence” that day but I know to him it was the start of something so much more and that today 52 years of marriage doesn’t seem long enough. To him Aunty was someone to navigate life’s challenges and celebrate life’s successes with, a safe place to share hopes, dreams and fears. A friend to talk with, golf with, travel with and most importantly love with. Around their 50th wedding anniversary she described him as marrying “her best friend” and wrote “I couldn’t imagine life any other way.”
To Bobbi- Lynn she was the picture of unwavering support and unconditional love. A mother who loved her daughter fiercely and would answer a text or call no matter what time of day. Something Bobbi-lynn is going to miss tremendously.
To her grandchildren, Jaida and Parker she was more than a grandmother she was everything- a doctor when they needed a bandaid, a dentist when they had a loose tooth, and a fan when they needed support and teacher when they required guidance. She taught them respect, acceptance, and patience, as well as life skills such as cooking and cleaning although they both admit through no fault but their own Jaida still can’t cook and Parker’s cleaning skills remain questionable.
To the rest of us Aunty Ann was giver. A giver of love, time and reassurance. A giver of a good meal, a thoughtful gift or a much -needed chat. It didn’t matter if she was slamming drawers trying to instigate an argument, giving you with the silence treatment, feeding you spicy mustard for poor language or threatening you with her “beating” stick you never questioned her love for you. That same person who tried to “get rid of her baby brother” by pushing him down a hill in his stroller was also the same woman who would drive 13 hours (well make her husband drive) to Ontario when that same little brother was hospitalized just to make sure he was ok- and of course to remind him if he wasn’t careful, he might go first. She was the woman whose office door was always open for staff to talk and her desk drawer full of rubber ducks and snacks for the community kids. She was the person who could cook for an army, who would invite strangers to holiday celebrations, who shopped just in case someone might need a gift and who donated TVs to the ICU after too many boring stays in ICU. She was the sister who would reminisce with you in the garage and the aunt who would text before every hockey game or stay up late to help you make bows. I think my Aunty Tammy described her best when she said Ann had the weakest heart and the biggest heart I have ever known. She was incredibly proud of the people she loved and even despite ongoing health challenges through determination, incredible strength and her legendary humor she never allowed those challenges to stop her from enjoying life and spending time with the people she loved. She truly was a fighter. There wasn’t a single heart attack that could keep her from enjoying a smoke, a burger and a good laugh.
Aunty you have been the strongest link in our family chain and the glue that held us together since passing of Papa. You have stood by us in our trials, delighted in our achievements and brought us together when it had been too long- if not for Christmas dinner, then, at least a visit over Tim’s coffee at St. B’s hospital.
While we are here today trying to figure out what our lives will look like without you and wishing for just a bit more time by your side, I take comfort in knowing that Grandma and Papa are getting to hold you in their arms again.
I know with the outmost confidence you are watching over and waiting for me- for all of us and will bring us in with a hug, a smile and of course a smart -ass comment-likely along the lines of “What took you so long” when each of us are called home.
Morrie Swartz said “As long as we can love each other and remember the feeling of love we had we can die without ever going away.
Aunty Ann you filled our hearts with love, our lives with laughter and our minds with memories all of which will live long past today and for that I will be forever grateful.
I miss you, and love you.
Now… get some rest and will talk later.
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Nos plus sincères sympathies à la famille et aux amis de Ann Foster January 3 1953 May 6 2022 (age 69)..
Décès pour la Ville: Flin-Flon, Province: Manitoba