It is with great sadness that the family of Audrey Bernice Forster announces her passing on Friday, August 20, 2021, at the La Verendrye Hospital in Fort Frances, with her daughter Valerie and son-in-law Elroy by her side.
Audrey was born on February 25, 1935, in Devlin, Ontario to Frederick and Florence Greensides, the middle child of three girls. She attended the Devlin one room school house, leaving school as a young teenager to work alongside her father at his store in Devlin, Greensides General Store. She was united in marriage to the love of her life and soulmate, Thomas Patterson “Pat” Forster on June 17, 1959. Audrey continued to work at her father’s store until Valerie was born, then settled into her favourite role as full time homemaker and mother, with Bill being born four years later. Pat’s passing in 1977 was devastating to Audrey, and she missed him dearly every day for the rest of her life. After Pat’s passing, and being left alone with two young children, she had to return to work. She worked for various businesses for a few years, then returned to working at Greensides General Store so that she could be close to her children at home in case they ever needed her. After her children were grown up, she went to work at McDonald’s restaurant in 1990, she moved to Fort Frances in 1991, and was employed at McDonald’s for 11 years, until retiring in 2001. Audrey loved working at McDonald’s, she greatly appreciated the opportunity that they had given her, and she cherished the friendships that she made, her fellow employees and the customers. She was always happy to go to work and greeted everyone with a warm smile. Audrey always loved working with young people, as a Supervisor of a group of 16 year olds caring for the Devlin/LaVallee Municipality cemeteries, as a Sunday School teacher, a 4H Home Making Leader, a librarian at Cornerbrook School in Devlin, and especially working with the teenagers at McDonald’s. Her home was always open to all of Valerie and Bill’s friends. She was happy when her yard was full of young people having fun, laughing and making noise.
At a very young age, Audrey’s grandmother taught her how to knit mitts. She was very quick to pick up this hobby, and she could be found knitting mitts in any moment of free time. Her passion for making mitts turned into a lifetime of giving to others. As fast as people donated yarn to her, bags and bags of yarn, she knitted thousands of pairs of mitts, donating 150 to 175 pairs of mitts yearly all through her retirement years, giving them to local charities and organizations, churches, schools, and the La Verendrye Hospital Gift Shop, while always hoping that everyone would have warm hands during our cold winters.
Audrey had a deep spiritual faith, and read her Bible daily, praying and spending time with God. She was a member of St. John’s Anglican Church. She sang in many choirs throughout her life, and was sad when her health prevented her from singing any longer. She was deeply saddened to have been unable to attend church over the last year and a half, and greatly missed all of her church friends.
Audrey recently had the joy of welcoming a new member into her family, Valerie’s partner Elroy. She loved him as one of her own immediately and they quickly bonded, calling him her son-in-law, and she loved that he called her, “mom”, right from day one. She was so sad that her time with Elroy was going to be too short, but she was very grateful that he had come into her and Valerie’s lives. She felt that with him here, she could return to her beloved Pat, and that Valerie would now be taken care of and wouldn’t be alone without her.
Audrey was predeceased by her husband Thomas “Pat” Forster; parents Frederick and Florence Greensides; father and mother-in-law Thomas and Nellie Forster; son-in-law Karl Zimmerman; sister Ethel and her husband Fritz Bujold; brother-in-law Jim Carmody; and brother-in-law Leonard Forster.
She will be greatly missed by her daughter Valerie Anne Zimmerman and partner Elroy Cheesequay; son Bill and wife Terri and their two children Liam and Macy; sister Freeda Carmody; sister-in-law Emelie Forster; and brother and sister-in-law Ken and Meryl Forster.
Mom devoted her life to taking care of her two children, Valerie and Bill, worrying about them, giving them her advice, and loving them dearly with her whole heart until her last breath. Now we are so blessed to forever have her watching over us and guiding us from her place in heaven. Our hearts are broken, we miss you so much mom, but one day we will be together again with both you and dad. Until then, we are so happy that you and dad are together once again.
As per Audrey’s wishes, there will be no service. Cremation has taken place and a private family interment will be held.
If friends so desire, in memoriam donations may be made to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, c/o Green Funeral Home, Box 427, Fort Frances, ON, P9A 3M8.
Online condolences may be made in care of www.greenfuneralhomefortfrances.com.
