Brenda Kathleen Graham

In Loving Memory

It is with great sadness that the family announces the passing of Brenda Kathleen Graham. Brenda died August 9 after complications of open-heart surgery.

She was born and grew up in a very English area of Montreal in 1942. After high school, she attended secretarial school at what later became Concordia College. One of her first jobs was working for Pfizer Pharmaceuticals Veterinary division which memorably resulted in having a box of pig snouts delivered to her desk. She married her first husband Terry and moved to Ottawa where her first child, Steven was born. Terry worked for the Federal Business Development Bank and was often transferred. After moving to the west coast, she lived in: Vancouver; North Vancouver; Williams Lake; Chilliwack; and Prince George. Her second and third sons Randy and Todd were born in North Van.

Brenda worked in many different fields and capacities mostly as what is now called an executive assistant. It was a broad field including real estate, stock brokerage, school boards, libraries , accountants (Wolrige Mahon), hospitals (Hotel Dieu, M.S.A), an exciting stint at the British Columbia Development Corporation when they started building Discovery Parks research centers and finally ending up at the City of Maple Ridge.

During her career technology rapidly evolved, she recalls being awed when she got her first IBM Selectric. She was an early adopter of word processing which resulted in her secondary career in adult education. Brenda taught night classes in word processing, secretarial skills, and later basic computer skills for seniors. She loved teaching and connecting with people at College of New Caledonia, University College of the Fraser Valley and even a course at the Maple Ridge Women’s Prison.

She had an incredible work ethic, working full time, teaching 3 nights a week in the evening, and later working Saturdays in her second husband David’s veterinary hospital. In truth this was partly to support her shopping habit.

Aside from shopping Brenda’s interests were in purebred dogs, showing and handling, including a stint as a professional handler. She later switched allegiances and showed and bred Siamese cats. She was a lifelong and voracious reader, later embracing the convenience of the Kindle. She enjoyed and was a productive knitter, and an enthusiastic but mediocre watercolour painter. She was an avid Aquafitter especially in the outdoor pool.

Brenda and David enjoyed road trips and camping to many U.S. National Parks; Yosemite; Grand Teton; Grand Canyon; Bryce Canyon; Zion are just a few. Her favourite destination was Hawaii favouring the Big Island and Kauai.

Brenda did not tolerate fools and could have a sharp tongue favouring sarcasm over insult. To those she liked she was a loyal and devoted friend.

She leaves behind to mourn her husband David Loff and sons Steven Graham (Melanie), Randy Graham (T.J.) and Todd Graham (Shawn)

A celebration of life will be held later.

For those who wish a donation in Brenda’s name can be made to Katie’s Place Animal Shelter