The family wishes to announce with sadness, the passing of Shirley “Bunty” Nelson (Atkinson) on May 28, 2017. A funeral will be held at the Peace Lutheran Church, Fort St. John, on Thursday, June 8th at 11am with reception to be held immediately afterwards. A time for quiet reflection by the coffin will be at Hamre’s Funeral Chapel the evening before, (June 7th) at 7- 9 pm.
Shirley was a pioneer child of the Peace River country, born in Rolla June 9, 1920. She is survived by her three children, Dr. Beaumont Nelson (Julie), Toby Atkinson and Monica Nelson, as well as grandchildren Howard, Dreyer(Jan) and Hilliary and Victoria (Julie) as well as two great grandchildren, Piper and Liam Nelson. She was predeceased by her only sibling, Aunt Beryl Styles(Ken) and baby sister Daphne (who died after birth) former husband, Walter Nelson and her parents, Howard and Shirley Atkinson.
Shirley started her career in Taylor Flats then paused several years to begin her family. She returned to teaching in 1957 at Rose Prairie, teaching grades one to eight in an old, one room school house. Shirley continued her education, taking courses at the University of Victoria and UBC. From September, 1967 until June, 1973, Shirley was the school principal and taught grades five to eight at Montney Elementary, also becoming very involved in the local community, directing community plays and offering excellent Christmas concerts at the local hall, which were always well attended.
When the country schools of the area amalgamated, mom chose to focus only on teaching and taught for five years at the Upper Pine Elementary school, then on to end her career at the Charlie Lake Elementary School in 1985, where she lived happily in her home nearby and was often seen walking a half mile down the road to the local post office. Although also a school principle through some of her teaching years, Shirley really loved being in the classroom and she had the opportunity to teach second generations of some families. She truly cared for her students and did all she could to give them the tools for success in their lives that lay ahead.
Mom was talented, very intelligent, dedicated and one of the hardest working people we’ve ever met, be it doing extracurricular work to help a struggling student or pushing big rocks in a wheelbarrow to add a point of interest in her much loved garden. She was a pioneer who touched the lives of many and will be missed by all those who came to know her.
Special thanks to Dr. Richard Moody who became her doctor in the more difficult period of her later years and to all the caring staff at the Peace Villa Care Home who journeyed with mom during the last and difficult days of life.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to any charity that protects Wildlife, the Glaucoma Research Society of Canada or the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation.