Obituary for Mary Carolina Runnalls (Tompkins)
Mary passed away peacefully on Saturday April 10th at Foyer Maillard Care Home
Mary was born August 2nd 1953 in Vancouver to John and Margaret Tompkins where she lived at 2070 Almer St . Mary attended Kitsilano High School where she graduated from in 1971. After graduating Mary
worked in the banking and medical insurance fields. In 1976 Mary visited Europe where she was to meet her future husband Oliver. Oliver had been working in Munich and had finished his contract and was returning to the UK on the night train from Munich to Calais. It was on that train that he met Mary as they had both shared the same carriage. Mary was on her way to Edinburgh and Oliver back to London but Mary stayed over in London for a couple of days and they spent some time exploring the city. On parting they decided to correspond by letters, there was no such thing as email those days.
Mary returned to London in the summer of '77 where she worked for the BBC and Unilever while staying at the YMCA in Marylebone. She was eventually offered a permanent position at Unilever as a secretary and shortly after Oliver and Mary acquired an apartment in Chiswick, West London where they were to live and work spending many happy times exploring London and visiting the odd pub 'occasionally'. In 1979 they were married at Crowborough Registry.
In early 1980 they moved to Canada living at West 10th avenue before moving to Coquitlam where they raised their three children Ellen, John and Sarah. In 2005 Mary suffered a stroke and was forced to take early retirement from Zellers. Despite this handicap Mary still managed to live life to its fullest, enjoying lunches, cinema trips and vacations with her family. And the odd trip to the local casino where she enjoyed spending
an hour on the slot machines. In March of 2020 Mary was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
She is predeceased by both her parents, survived by loving husband Oliver, and children Ellen, John and Sarah, John's wife Liya and grandchildren Bella and Jasmine. At Mary's request there will be no service.
Mary was born August 2nd 1953 in Vancouver to John and Margaret Tompkins where she lived at 2070 Almer St . Mary attended Kitsilano High School where she graduated from in 1971. After graduating Mary
worked in the banking and medical insurance fields. In 1976 Mary visited Europe where she was to meet her future husband Oliver. Oliver had been working in Munich and had finished his contract and was returning to the UK on the night train from Munich to Calais. It was on that train that he met Mary as they had both shared the same carriage. Mary was on her way to Edinburgh and Oliver back to London but Mary stayed over in London for a couple of days and they spent some time exploring the city. On parting they decided to correspond by letters, there was no such thing as email those days.
Mary returned to London in the summer of '77 where she worked for the BBC and Unilever while staying at the YMCA in Marylebone. She was eventually offered a permanent position at Unilever as a secretary and shortly after Oliver and Mary acquired an apartment in Chiswick, West London where they were to live and work spending many happy times exploring London and visiting the odd pub 'occasionally'. In 1979 they were married at Crowborough Registry.
In early 1980 they moved to Canada living at West 10th avenue before moving to Coquitlam where they raised their three children Ellen, John and Sarah. In 2005 Mary suffered a stroke and was forced to take early retirement from Zellers. Despite this handicap Mary still managed to live life to its fullest, enjoying lunches, cinema trips and vacations with her family. And the odd trip to the local casino where she enjoyed spending
an hour on the slot machines. In March of 2020 Mary was diagnosed with vascular dementia.
She is predeceased by both her parents, survived by loving husband Oliver, and children Ellen, John and Sarah, John's wife Liya and grandchildren Bella and Jasmine. At Mary's request there will be no service.