HUNT, Laura May

May 20, 1926 — April 13, 2023

Born in Carnduff, Saskatchewan on May 20, 1926, Laura died peacefully in Kelowna, British Columbia on April 13, 2023.

Surviving Family: daughter Anna Hunt-Binkley (Manse) grandsons, Casey, Brock, Quinn; son Jeff Hunt (Mariya).

Predeceased Family: husband Al Hunt; sisters Marie, Mina, Kathy, Susan, Alice and Peggy.

Laura grew up in Carnduff Saskatchewan, the sixth of seven girls. Some of her fondest memories were of her early years with her sisters who were fondly known as the “McDonald girls’ full of laughter and joy. Laura attended the Royal Jubilee Hospital School of Nursing in Victoria BC graduating as the gold medallist in the RN program in 1947. Returning to Saskatchewan she started her career in nursing and contracted TB causing her to be hospitalized for over two years in a sanitorium in the Qu’Appelle Valley. She returned to her career and nursed in Arizona, Winnipeg and Brandon. Laura married Al Hunt in 1953 and had two children, Anna and Jeff. The couple moved to Brandon, Manitoba 1962 and enjoyed many happy and productive years. Laura nursed, volunteered, enjoyed bridge and curled even competing in two bonspiels in Scotland. Most importantly she was a great mother to her two children.

In 1981 they moved to West Kelowna B.C. and created a beautiful home and producing vineyard. With her daughter and grandsons close by she enjoyed many happy hours and days with her grandsons who fondly recall special overnight visits, the best cookies ever, scrumptious dill pickles and fun golf games. Laura was known to speak her mind and call a spade a spade with one of her favourite corrections to people when they would say would you like to lay down? Her reply: “don’t you know that only hens lay eggs”. Despite some doubt, this grammatical correction was confirmed in a Globe and Mail article citing common mistakes.

The family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at Orchard Manor, for the attention and kind care Laura received.

Family and close friends will be gathering in the future for a private time of remembrance and a tribute in Laura’s honour.

TO REMEMBER ME

At a certain moment a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.
When that happens, do not attempt to instill artificial life into my body by the use of a machine.
And don’t call this my “deathbed.” Call it my “bed of life,” and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives.
Give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby’s face or love in the eyes of a woman.
Give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain.
Give my blood to the teenager who has been pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play.
Give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week.
Take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to make a crippled child walk.
Explore every corner of my brain.
Take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her windows.
Burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow.
If you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses and all my prejudice against my fellow man.
Give my sins to the devil.
Give my soul to God.
If, by chance, you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed or word to someone who needs you.
If you do all I ask, I will live forever. 

-By Robert N. Test

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