(Mae) Elaine Thoreson
July 3, 1937 – January 25, 2012
Elaine passed away in Saskatoon, in the home she shared with her daughter Cindy, at the
age of 74. Elaine was pre-deceased by her beloved parents, John (Jack) Deydey & Velma
Melitta (Mackie) Deydey. She is survived & missed greatly by her daughter, Cindy, cousins
Carole Patterson, Shirley Connor, Norman & Jack Makie, many nieces & nephews, adopted
godson, Chau Ly, his family, & many dear friends.
Elaine was born, raised & received her education in Moose Jaw. Elaine received the Women of Distinction Award for Community Enhancement in 1998. Elaine learned the importance of volunteerism and community service from her parents. Over the years, Elaine contributed countless hours and tireless effort to both local, provincial & national associations, including the Unitarian Service Committee, the Red Cross, the SPCA, the Humane Society, the Wakamow Valley Authority, & the 55 Plus Summer Games. Elaine was involved with the Lung Association and ahead of her time in promoting the rights of non-smokers to breathe smoke-free air. Elaine was also a proud recipient of the Saskatchewan 125 Award, presented by Sylvia Fedoruk at the
Parliament Building in Regina, in recognition of many years of outstanding community service.
One of Elaine’s fondest volunteer positions was as Program Director with the William Grayson/
Alexandra Community Association, which she represented on the Moose Jaw City Directorate.
Elaine enjoyed instructing Tai Chi courses for the association, as well as babysitting, “Kids Street Smarts” and Fire Safety programs. One of her proudest accomplishments, was to spearhead a community park project, by leading association members in raising money to fully equip Moose Park on Ominica Street, with playground equipment & landscaping. Elaine also spent several winters supervising the outdoor ice rink, so neighborhood kids had a safe place to skate.
Although slim & petite, Elaine was very athletic. She always stood up for the underdog – and to her Mom’s dismay, often came home with cuts & scrapes she acquired in the process of defending a bullying victim. In high school she was a talented gymnast, swimmer & high-diver. What Elaine loved most, though, was to dance. She won many competitions in ballet & highland dancing – and she loved to tell folks she had her own “piper” back in the day. One of Elaine’s proudest moments was when the National Ballet invited her to attend their school, even though Elaine’s Mom decided against allowing her to accept the offer.
Elaine married early & sadly lived to regret the decision. The highlight of her brief marriage, occurred during Elaine’s honeymoon in Las Vegas. After seeing her idol Nat King Cole perform, Elaine went backstage to ask for his autograph. When the doorman learned she was from Saskatchewan (where he had once worked himself) he allowed Elaine backstage to meet Nat King Cole in person. Elaine’s idol not only gave her his autograph, he also invited her to have a cocktail with him!
Elaine was a loving mother to her daughter Cindy. Elaine budgeted carefully to ensure Cindy received not just the necessities of life, but opportunities to explore all that life had to offer. Elaine made sure Cindy had lessons in dancing, piano, skating, skiing, tennis & art. Elaine also loved taking Cindy to cultural events, including theatrical productions & concerts. Because of Elaine’s encouragement, Cindy was the first one in their family to earn a university degree. Elaine believed in life-long learning and later earned a certificate in administration from the University of Regina.
Elaine was an accomplished bowler (she had her own team) and an avid skier. Elaine’s skill on the slopes didn’t go unnoticed & she was invited to join the ski patrol in Banff. Elaine loved to travel and went on several ski trips to Europe. Elaine enjoyed golfing too, & even got her Mom and daughter out on the greens. As an adult, Elaine’s love of dance continued – and she spent many happy evenings on the dance floor at Temple Gardens.
Elaine could have given Martha Stewart a run for the money. Like her Mom, Elaine was a talented seamstress, baker, party planner and horticulturist. Elaine won countless blue ribbons at different local competitions. She was later invited to join the Sask. Association of Agricultural Societies and Exhibitions, as a judge – and in the course of her judging activities, Elaine made many new friends around the province.
One of Elaine’s first jobs as a teenager was with the Moose Jaw Co-op. Elaine was the first
female to work with the Post Office in Moose, as a casual Christmas employee. Elaine moved
on to manage the Moose Jaw MSI office for over 20 years. When the office closed, Elaine was
recruited as a medical interviewer, for the WHO Study on Aging, which involved her traveling
throughout Sask., meeting & talking to seniors about their lives and health.
One of Elaine’s passions was animal welfare. She traveled to Calgary and to Atlanta, to visit pandas on exhibit. She dreamed about taking trip to the Chengdu Panda Reserve in China, which sadly, never occurred. Elaine was passionate about the survival of the Panda Species, as well as tigers and elephants, and supported these causes financially. For years, Elaine raised and trained St. Bernards.
She enjoyed traveling on the show circuit with her “babies”, where she made many friends and won even more ribbons. Elaine’s first Saints, Woofer, Tammy and Little Fella – always held a special place in her heart – as did Mojo, her Mom’s spoiled Saint Bernard.
Elaine was an extremely artistic individual – she excelled at sketching and painting. Elaine played a mean boogie woogie piano and enjoyed spending hours around the piano with her family. Elaine loved the outdoors - and was an avid sun-worshipper. Elaine was a talented gardener and loved flowers. She was keenly interested in butterflies and hummingbirds - & the workshops Elaine presented on how to
attract these beautiful creations to your garden, were very popular. Elaine had a lively sense of
humour –appreciated by family & friends alike.
After retiring, Elaine & her daughter Cindy, devoted themselves to caring for Velma, Elaine’s mom, at Cindy’s home in Saskatoon and to looking after Jack, Elaine’s dad, in Moose Jaw. Elaine initially split her time between Moose Jaw (with her Dad) and Saskatoon (with her Mom and Cindy). After Jack passed away, Elaine moved to Saskatoon full-time, to support Cindy in caring for Velma.
Despite leading a healthy and active life-style, Elaine was diagnosed with cancer in 1982 – and spent several harrowing years pursuing treatment at the Mayo Clinic and M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston.
In 2006 Elaine’s cancer re-occurred, (right after her Mom died) and she once again valiantly battled against the disease. Elaine suffered terrible side-effects from chemotherapy & radiation treatments – but refused to give up. It was only in 2011, when she began having difficulty swallowing, that Elaine finally was forced to slow down. Elaine’s doctor, Leanne Bettin, was a pillar of support during this
difficult time. Because of delays in receiving treatment in Saskatchewan, Elaine was referred to the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton, where she received invaluable help. Both Sorrentino’s Compassion House and the Westin Hotel in Edmonton, helped defray the travel costs of these trips, for which Elaine
was very grateful.
While living in Saskatoon with Cindy, Elaine had the opportunity to make some very good friends – the Ly family and the Wei family, who greatly enriched her life. Elaine and her daughter also operated a garden décor business, which gave them the opportunity to both travel widely and to make many new friends. Elaine particularly enjoyed exhibiting at the Saskatoon GardenScape show every spring. Another favorite past-time was attending live music events at the Bassment and the annual Sask. Jazz Festival.
Elaine was a real “people person” – she was genuinely interested in others, & found great reward in helping people – both friends & new acquaintances. Practicing Tai Chi gave Elaine personal pleasure, but more importantly, it was a way for her to help others. During her years instructing Tai Chi in Moose Jaw, Elaine made many good friends – who she missed deeply, after moving to Saskatoon. Elaine also
enjoyed hand-drumming and attended facilitator training sessions both in Vancouver and in Hawaii, with the renowned Arthur Hull Rhythm Faciliation program. While in Hawaii, Elaine had the opportunity to attend an advanced Tai Chi in Paradise workshop with former U.S. Champion in Tai Chi, Chris Luth. This trip was a “triple header” for Elaine, because she participated in a Taiko Drumming conference, as well, alongside many Taiko professionals, including the Kodo drummers. Despite having lived a very full life, Elaine passed away far too early, with many unrealized dreams.
There will be no service, but a memorial celebration will be held in Moose Jaw , this spring. Please contact Elaine’s daughter, Cindy at cthoreson@sasktel.net, for details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the World Wildlife Fund, Panda Conservation (1-800-267-2632).