1932 – 2022
It is with great sadness that we announce that our lovely Mum, Sheila Moorhouse, slipped away at the Innisfail Health Centre, Innisfail, Alberta the afternoon of Wednesday, January 26, 2022 at the age of eighty-nine years, with family at her side.
Sheila was born in Ealing, London, England, where her family was living when WWll broke out. She lived through the London Blitz. Her family then moved away to avoid the terrible devastation of the bombs. They lived in Nottingham, Ripley, Derbyshire and Thame, Oxfordshire where Sheila and her brother attended school. Even though her family was not wealthy, Sheila was fortunate to be able to stay in school until she was almost eighteen. After school, Sheila attended teacher training college in Gypsy Hill, London and Nelson Hall, Staffordshire. She started teaching at the age of twenty in Stone Staffordshire and met her future husband, Leonard Moorhouse, also a teacher, while they were both attending orchestra practices in Stafford.
Sheila and Leonard married in October 1953 and to begin, they lived at Lightwood, Stoke-on-Trent. In January of 1954, they bought an old stone cottage at Mow Cop, Stoke-on-Trent, where they lived for the next sixteen years. During this time Sheila taught at schools in Kidsgrove and Biddulph, Staffordshire and Congleton, Cheshire. In August of 1970, Sheila, Len and their three children, Jackie, Cynthia and Jeremy emigrated to Canada and settled in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. Sheila taught at Rocky Elementary for twenty-five years, first teaching grade three and working later as the resource and ESL teacher. Sheila always valued education and was a life-long learner. After moving to Rocky, she attended classes in the evenings and summers and obtained her Bachelor of Education degree and later her ESL diploma, all the while teaching full time. As the sole wage earner, Sheila always worked hard to support her family and to help her children have a better life in a new country.
In July, 2016, Sheila moved to Innisfail to be closer to her daughter, Jackie. Sheila was very resourceful. In her younger years, she loved to knit, sew clothing for her children and grandchildren and work in her garden. This helped stretch the family income when things were tight. She also kept up with the news and was always ready to talk about politics and events that were going on around the world. She was a force to be reckoned with. Sheila is lovingly remembered by her children, Jackie (Patrick Gleason), Cynthia (Garry Lum) and Jeremy (Shauna), her grandchildren, Andrea Gleason (Brian Carrier), Cadence Moorhouse and Hayley Moorhouse, and her great granddaughter, Ivy. She will also be deeply missed by her brother, Gordon Lamb, friends and extended family in the UK and Canada.
Sheila was predeceased by her husband, Leonard, her nephew and niece and dear friends, Noel and Rosalind as well as a number of good friends in the UK and in Canada.
The family would like to thank the workers at Innisfail Home Care for their kind support. We would also like to thank the doctors and staff at the Innisfail Health Centre for their wonderful care and compassion towards our Mum in the last days of her life. In particular, we would like to thank Lorinda Scott for the many ways in which she helped Mum and for being such a good and loving friend to her.
If desired, Memorial Donations may be made to the Mountain Rose Women’s Shelter, 4708 46 St, Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, T4T 1C5 or to the Innisfail Food Bank, 4303 50 Street, Innisfail, Alberta, T4G 1L1. Both these causes were dear to Mum’s heart. There will be a Celebration of Life announced at a late date when the weather turns warmer.
Condolences, memories and photos may be shared and viewed at www.heartlandfuneralservices.com. Arrangements in care of: Heartland Funeral Services Ltd. 4415 – 49 Street, Innisfail, Alberta. Phone: 403.227.0006 Fax: 403.227.6437
