Mary (Pippy) Elizabeth Michener (nee Graham)

October 13, 1931 – November 24, 2020 

Our family would like to announce the passing of our beloved mother. After many years of living with dementia, Pippy passed peacefully away at the age of 89 at River Park Gardens.

Pippy is predeceased by the love of her life, Mel. Their love affair started when Pippy asked Mel to a Sadie Hawkins dance and they were happily married for 62 years. Although she is now with her beloved Mel, she will be missed by her daughters, Kathleen, Anne Keast (Barry), Sarah and son Arthur (Joan). Also, her honorary daughter/niece Kim Halverson (Rob), her sister Susan Graham and brother Joe Graham (Carolyn) and 10 nieces and nephews who she always enjoyed spending time with and knew well. She was so proud of her grandchildren and loved watching them grow into the wonderful adults and parents they are today: Branden Keast (Andie); Riley Keast (Christy); Michael Keast and Brittany Alwis (Shawn); Chad Michener (Erika) and Jasmyn Michener (Reece).

Born in Winnipeg, Pippy went to Kelvin High School and then graduated from the University of Manitoba where she had tremendous fun in Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was an active member of the Junior League and president in 1969. She continued her volunteer work and ran the Winnipeg Art Gallery Shop (WAG) for almost 2 decades.

Pippy had many loves second to family. She embraced her volunteer work at the WAG, especially her buying trips with her close friend Val Fraser. She always managed to come back with a lot of new shoes which obviously had nothing to do with what she would buy for the shop; she loved shopping! Shoes, coats, outfits, jewelry, she loved it all and was an early fashionista!   She loved and enjoyed her friends, whether it was talking on the phone, hosting or going to dinner parties, Dance Club at the St Charles, picnics down the lake, bridge club, and monthly “ladies lunch who lunch” get togethers. She cherished her time with her friends. She was a voracious reader and from a young age you rarely saw her without a book nearby. Mom and Dad were fortunate enough to travel the world on their own, with family, friends, and this gave them great joy. Above all, Mom’s favorite place was the family cottage at Lake of the Woods where she was surrounded by her family and friends.

She was a great friend and mother and those who knew her best would say that her quiet humor and gentle personality will be missed.

Thank you to the wonderful staff at River Park Gardens for their care and compassion with mom over the past 6 years. Especially, thank you for your teamwork in remaining Covid free so that we could continue to be with mom. A special thankyou to Bev Bassett, a loving and kind companion for mom the last 6 years.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Society of Manitoba or the Mel P. Michener Architectural Fellowship at the University of Manitoba.

Memorial service will take place at a later date.