Wilma Anna (Roberts) Fasano
June 22, 193something
– May 13, 2021
(Wilma carefully guarded her
age)
Wilma was born on a
pioneer farm, northeast of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Her parents
were Allan Roberts (Pennsylvania) and Wilamina (Holderbecker) Roberts
(Minnesota). Wilma attended grades 1 – 8 in a one room log
schoolhouse built by her father at Faraway/Rose Creek, AB and grades 9
– 11 in Rimby, AB. In order to avoid the oil in their well
water, her parents eventually moved from the AB farm to her
mothers’ roots near Laporte, Minnesota. There, Wilma
completed high school and attended Bemidji State Teachers College,
completing a two-year teaching certificate.
Early teaching experience
included positions in Gilbert MN, Waskada, MB and Birch River, MB.
Wilma enrolled in Graduate Studies at Denver University (MA in Eng +
Drama), University of MB (B.Ed), and Acadia, Wolfville, NS (M.Ed).
Wilma loved the role of a university student and would have happily
studied forever.
Wilma went to The Pas, MB
in 1959 for the start of 16 good years “North of 53” with
the Kelsey School Division. There, Wilma met husband, James where they
both taught on The Pas Collegiate staff (later renamed Margaret
Barbour Collegiate). They were married on July 28, 1961 at Laporte,
MN. At The Pas, they proudly welcomed daughter, Heather (1966) and
son, Jim (1969). As fugitives from the cold Canadian Prairies, their
arrival in Wolfville, NS in 1977 was seen by the family as dying and
going to heaven. Recent health support from friends, neighbors, and
the NS health system has verified we truly did arrive in a very
special place. Daughter, Heather married Edward Hemphill,
Florenceville, NB, in 1992 at Manning Chapel Acadia University and
together they have children, Lauren, Maggie, and JP all of Ottawa, ON.
Son, Jim married Tamara Lennox, Toronto, ON, in 2007 at Sedona, AZ and
have children Regan, Addy, and JJ, all of Toronto, ON. Wilma is also
survived by nephews, Brion Roberts (Julie), Kanawha, IA and Bruce
Roberts (Karen), Eau Claire, WN.
High school students at
The Pas, MB, Ardrossan Jr. Sr. High AB, and Central Kings Jr. and Sr.
High, Cambridge, NS benefitted from her enthusiasm for Shakespeare,
her support for drama, and her relentless red pen. Wilma believed you
learned to write by writing, so her students wrote, and for a portion
of each evening, she marked. Wilma often worried about the push for
higher and higher degrees being required for employment in all fields
with her lament “What’s a poor kid supposed to
do?”. At Central Kings she enjoyed teamwork with Terry Knock and
Calvin Keddy, and Principals Ray Baltzer, Jon Margeson, Tony Stewart,
and Walter Humphreys.
In her 30 years of retirement, Wilma
published four squeaky clean romances with Avalon Press NY (Weekend
Romance, Love Song, Dolphin Song, The Love Game) and one with Wild
Rose Press (The Ranchers Rose) among countless others while living on
Lumsden Pond, Kings County, NS. Retirement travel included Scotland,
England, France, Portugal, Australia, and New Zealand. She was a
devotee of the daily crossword puzzles and read continuously. A number
of North American travel trailer trips always paused at Stratford, ON
in order to max out on Shakespeare. She always complained about the
travel trailer trips (“it was awful”) but when questioned
about her obvious enjoyment of each trip, she responded “I have
an image to maintain”. Many happy retirement winters were spent
in Gulfview Mobile Home Park, Largo, FL.
A sincere thank you to
the Valley Regional Hospital, (ER, Med A, and surgery), Drs. Burgoyne,
Wellwood, Smith, and Gillies, the many VON Annapolis Valley workers,
Chris Ivany Home Care, and the White Family Funeral Home, Kentville.
Wilma passed peacefully and comfortably in the early morning of
Thursday, May 13, 2021 in the Valley Regional Hospital, Kentville,
with husband Jim at her side. Donations in memory could be made to the
Alzheimer Society of Nova Scotia, the VON Annapolis Valley, Valley
Regional Hospital Foundation, or your charity of choice. A celebration
of a good life well lived will be held later this summer, COVID-19
permitting. Remains will be scattered in Nova Scotia and in
Northern Manitoba. Arrangements have been entrusted to the White
Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Kentville.
Click here to View Condolences
Our most sincere sympathies to the family and friends of Wilma Anna Roberts Fasano 2021..
Death notice for the town of: Kentville, Province: Nova Scotia