Katherine Ella Nicholson passed away on February 23, 2013 at her home in Ridgeview Lodge with family by her side.

She will be forever loved and remembered by her daughter Lynda (Allen) of Salmon Arm, sons Don (Doris) and Ken (Judy) of Kamloops, brother-in-law Eric of Tsawwassen, B.C. and sisters-in-law Terry and Marion of Vancouver, B.C. In addition, there are numerous nieces and nephews and their families scattered across Western Canada and the United Kingdom.

Ella was predeceased by her husband Ed, her parents Bill and Dorothy Yearley, her brothers Frank and Gordon and her granddaughter Twyla.

Ella was born in Vancouver and raised in North Bend, B.C. where she met her future husband Clarence Edmund (Ed) Nicholson. In 1944, after graduating as an R.N. from Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster, Ella and Ed were married and moved to Kamloops. Ella quickly found work as a nurse. Over the course of her long career she worked at Tranquille T.B. Sanatorium, Burris Clinic, Royal Inland Hospital and in Community Health. She was the first registered nurse to work weekend and holiday shifts in the Kamloops area Home Care program. She also worked for many years at Royal Inland Hospital in the Emergency Department, the Renal Dialysis Unit and Psychiatric Unit before her retirement in 1991 at the age of 70. She established the first Future Nurses Club in the area, was involved with the Reach to Recovery program for mastectomy patients and served three terms as president of the Kamloops Chapter of the RNABC. She received the Award of Honour from the Registered Nurses Association of British Columbia in 1 987. After her retirement she continued to stay involved with the nursing profession through her alumni work and by meeting with student nurses.

Ella loved Kamloops and gave freely of her time to support many local organizations. She was also very devoted to her children and was always available when they needed her. She was a member of the Nu Master Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and for many years the Kamloops Golf and Country Club.

The family would like to extend a special thank you to her colleagues and friends. Their support and friendship enabled Ella to remain connected to the activities and people she loved. The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at both the Renaissance Retirement Residence and Ridgeview Lodge. Their care and dedication helped make Ella's life full and enjoyable in later years.

A Celebration of Ella's life will be held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 4, 2013 at St. Paul's Cathedral in Kamloops.