Maureen (Mo) Tipples nee Mannall

May 25, 1938 – February 2, 2022 

Mo passed away peacefully, with her family at her side, at Donwood Manor Personal Care Home, after a lengthy encounter with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Mo is survived by Keith, her husband of 59 years; children Neil (Suzanne), Megan Carter (Jason) and Graham (Heather); her beloved grandchildren Sean (Jamie), Aaron, Sarah, Nathan, Conan, Owen and Grace; and siblings Christopher, Bernadine and Meg in the U.K.

Prior to her admission to Donwood in September 2021, Mo had been lovingly cared for by her husband Keith who ensured that she remained comfortable and as active as possible in her own home. She was indeed active! She enjoyed daily walks, bike riding, kayaking and even rowing the family sailboat right up to age 81! In her last summer at home she was still managing a fierce game of table tennis, often accompanied by great laughter.

The task of putting a life into words is no easy one, especially one so fully lived. Mo’s life passions were her family, the outdoors and many variations of physical activity.

Mo was born in Weymouth England. She grew up in a family with 2 sisters and a brother. During the war years, her dad served in the Royal Navy and was away in Australia for 7 years. Her grandmother was an important figure in the home during this time. Mo had longstanding memories of her time living in coastguard cottages on the south coast of England when her dad later served as a coastguard officer. This was the beginning of her love of the sea and interest in travel.

From the start, Mo’s school days were filled with an interest in sports (netball and tennis), and a love of geography. She went on to complete a BA degree at the University of Birmingham in Phys Ed and Geography. She made many life-long friends, got introduced to camping, continued to be active in tennis, and captained the netball team to a British inter-varsity championship. Mo and Keith met during their first year at university and were married 5 years later, on April 23, 1962.

Mo’s life was filled with many interests. She played tennis well into her 70’s and her friends from the Winnipeg Canoe Club and later at the Winnipeg Lawn tennis club were important to her. Her pursuits also included badminton, yoga, bike riding, cross country skiing, ballroom and folk dancing (with Manitoba International Folk Dance Association). At the Donwood, staff often commented that Mo’s feet were never still as she tapped her toes to music. Mo also developed excellent skills in stained glass artistry. She loved organizing treasure hunts, games parties and other fun activities.

Mo and Keith embarked on a great adventure at the end of December 1962 when they left England and travelled to Canada. Keith had a one-year post-doctoral fellowship position in Winnipeg at the Grain Research Laboratory. Mo’s recollection of the voyage from UK to New York on the Queen Mary – while 6 months pregnant with their first child – was a longstanding memory. When Keith accepted a permanent position as a research scientist, Winnipeg became their permanent home.

Mo’s early years in Canada passed in a blur, raising her 3 children. She took care to ensure there were always lots of good books in the house, and supported the children’s many sport and musical interests. Her sewing machine was often busy in those days, and many Christmas decorations (still used) were made by her hand. She hosted some amazing kids’ birthday parties full of games, paper hats and “meringues with faces”.

Mo taught recreational gymnastics and produced some wonderful gym shows which involved small children having a great time dressed up as rabbits and other such animals. Mo was never interested in coaching competitive gymnastics but rather wanted to teach basic movement skills while having fun doing it. She subsequently put her Phys Ed training to good use as a Sport Administrator and Board member with the Manitoba Sports Federation. She worked with a variety of sport associations including women’s field hockey, wheelchair sports, gymnastics, paddling, and broomball. She was also a member of the Manitoba team staff at a number of Canada Games.

Camping and enjoying nature were an important part of Mo’s life. Early family life included many happy camping trips to places like Grand Beach and an all-time favorite spot at Sioux Narrows Provincial Park. As the kids got a bit older, a beloved family sailboat “Skipper 14” became a huge part of the camping adventures. Summer days were filled with swimming, sailing, wind surfing, fishing for rock bass and other fun activities. Many days ended singing around the campfire. Mo and Keith eventually bought a cottage at Grindstone Provincial Park on Lake Winnipeg. The Grindstone cottage was a slice of heaven for Mo and Keith, and they shared 26 lovely summers there.

Mo’s love of the outdoors led her to advocate in many ways, and her Grindstone years were filled with volunteer work including with the Cottage Owners’ Association, and the Lake Winnipeg Research Consortium. She co-founded S.O.U.L (Save Our Lake) and was passionate about educating cottage owners about the health of the lake and other environmental issues.

The start of cottage life coincided with the arrival of grandchildren – eventually 7 – and “GranMo” was delighted to share in all aspects of their lives. As she reflected in an early journal, “I cannot express in words how much joy and happiness I have found in being part of your lives. Each additional baby born just expands the horizons of my love and pride in all of you”. GranMo was a fan at every musical or sporting event and had boundless energy to share activities like reading books, working puppets, playing games, doing puzzles, or scouring the beach for fossils and igneous rocks and teaching an appreciation of nature.

Mo’s passion for geography flourished after Keith retired, and together they embarked on some incredible trips to places like Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Norway, and within Canada to Newfoundland and to the Great Bear rainforest in BC. Mo was thirsty for information about all aspects of the places she visited and was willing to be slightly uncomfortable (for example on camping safaris) if it meant that she could get close to the land, animals, or people of the area.
Family would like to thank the staff of Donwood Manor for their compassionate care in the last months of Mo’s life.

In lieu of flowers, please enjoy a walk, watch the birds, look after the earth, and hug your family.
Mo’s words from a journal, penned before her memory slipped away: “To each and everyone that I have ever known, thank you for the happiness you have given me. Remember to live every day to the full and laugh a lot – it keeps you young and makes life a fun-filled experience! May the Good Spirit bless you all”.

Cremation has taken place and a celebration of her life is planned for a future date.