Katherine (McQuade) Sigurdson (nee Steffenson)

June 25, 1919 – December 3, 2018

Katherine (Kaye McQuade) Sigurdson (nee Steffenson)

With great love and appreciation for a life well lived, the family of Katherine (Kaye) Sigurdson, announces her peaceful passing, at Seven Oaks General Hospital, on Monday, December 3, 2018, at the age of 99. 

Kaye was predeceased by her first husband; Lawrence McQuade, her parents; Katherine and Marius Steffenson, sisters; Judy (Holger), Lee (Bert), brother; George (Irene) (Lilian); daughter in law, Millie, her second husband, Reg Sigurdson, stepson, Grant, stepdaughter, Eve, and dear friend, Sidney West. 

Kaye will be lovingly remembered by her children, Melvin (Rosalie), George and his friend, Iris, David (Adrienne), six Grandchildren and their spouses, fourteen Great Grandchildren, her niece and nephews and their families, stepchildren; Joy (Bart), May (George), Gaye (George); twenty Step-Grandchildren, and three Step-Great Grandchildren, along with many wonderful friends. 

Kaye was born on a farm in Monominto, MB, to Marius and Katherine Steffenson. She attended Monominto school and assisted her parents, working hard together with them and her siblings on the family farm. She went on to do domestic work in both rural and Winnipeg residences until her early twenties. She often remarked she would have liked to have become a Teacher and placed a high value on education. 

In 1941, she married Lawrence McQuade and had three sons, Melvin, George and David. The couple worked on their family farm until Lawrence sadly passed away in 1964. At this point, Kaye sold the farm and moved to Winnipeg with her boys. She was employed at Globe Bedding and Company for quite a few years where she was “Head Cutter”, a term she would often joke about with her grandchildren, clarifying she was cutting material for mattresses, not heads!

She married Reg Sigurdson in 1973 and became a Step Mother. Soon after, she worked part-time at Fabric Land until retirement at age 65. She enjoyed knitting, sewing, volunteering and reaching out to friends and family to help wherever there was need. She also discovered new interests upon retiring, such as bowling, golf, camping, travelling to Scandinavia, Hawaii, Alaska and many locations in Canada. Kaye kept physically active throughout her entire life, especially through dancing, which she enjoyed three times a week well into her nineties! 

Her family will always cherish memories of Holidays at Gramma’s house, many sleepovers in the “Pink Room”, her famous tarts and so many outings and adventures. 

There is so much more that could be said about Kaye, however, her greatest accomplishments are that she gave a lifetime of joy, wisdom, love and inspiration to her family and everyone she met along the way. May her life well lived, live on in us, as we carry forward her values of caring, thoughtfulness, kindness, quickness to forgive, and believing the best in everyone. This way, she will continue to shine, on Earth, through us. Until we meet again…

The family would like to thank Thorvaldson’s Care Centre and Seven Oaks General Hospital, 5th floor, Unit 7, for their kind and compassionate care toward the end of Katherine’s life. 

                A celebration of her life will be held on Monday, December 10, 2018, at 11:00 a.m., in the chapel of Voyage Funeral Home, 220 Hespeler Ave at Henderson Hwy.