Olive Willcox

July 22, 1932 – May 1, 2021

Olive was born on her parents’ farm near Swan Lake, Manitoba on July 22, 1932. She was the third of four daughters born to Ira and Elizabeth Flack (Evans). Olive attended Lake View School and Swan Lake High School. In 1951 her parents sold the farm and moved the family to Winnipeg.

Olive had an adventurous spirit. Before she was married she travelled to the Calgary Stampede, California, Florida and the Bahamas.

Olive worked at MTS for two years before joining the Hudson’s Bay Company as a clerk in their head office in 1953. Four years later she met Don Willcox who had moved to Winnipeg after several years of working for the HBC in the north. They were married in Winnipeg on June 6, 1959, at St. Andrew’s Church on Portage Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard.

Shortly after they were married they moved to Montreal. Their son Robert was born in Montreal in August of 1960. Daughter Donna followed in May 1962. Soon after, they were transferred to Edmonton for a few years and then were back to Montreal. In 1970 the family moved back to Edmonton, where they stayed until 1984. With one child in university and one just graduated, Olive and Don and their dogs made their final move back to Winnipeg, where they have remained for 37 years.

Olive worked for D’Allaird’s clothing store for 17 years. She was an assistant manager at their Polo Park store for several years, until her retirement in 1993.

After retirement from D’Allaird’s, Olive kept very busy pursuing her many interests. She was an avid sports fan and would watch almost any sport on TV. Curling and hockey were her favourites. She and Don had season tickets for the Manitoba Moose, the Winnipeg Jets and the Winnipeg Goldeyes for many years. Recently, Rob got her interested in Formula 1 car racing. Olive was an avid gardener. She had a beautiful garden at home and volunteered in the gardens at Fort Whyte Alive for many years.

Olive attended St. Andrew’s Angligan Church at Woodhaven. She was an active member of the Anglican Church Women. Olive made crafts for the annual church craft fair and worked at their rummage sale every month. The many friends she made during her volunteer activities were very special to her.

Olive loved spending time with her family. Christmas and summer were special as those were the times when she, Don, Rob and Donna and granddog Scout could spend time together. Olive was a great cook and often baked for her family and friends.

Whenever you saw Olive she was always well-dressed. She loved nice clothes and jewellery and loved to get dressed up. Many of her clothes were acquired on thrifting trips that she and Donna would take together. Every two summers, when Donna was off from teaching, they would travel to Calgary to visit Rob, and then to Vancouver Island where they would visit with Olive’s sister Rena and her family.

Olive was a lot of fun and had a great sense of humour. She loved to laugh. She was a very giving person and always put others before herself. Olive was an animal lover and adored her “big girl”, Donna’s dog Scout.

Olive is survived by her husband of 62 years, Don, her son Rob, her daughter Donna, her sister Rena and many nieces and nephews. She is predeceased by her parents Ira and Elizabeth Flack and her sisters Mildred Vermiere and Mabel Bornn. Olive’s family would like to thank all those who have been so kind and thoughtful during this very difficult time. A service will be held at a later date when we can all gather together to celebrate this remarkable woman’s life.