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Ellen Gail
Rawn

August 26, 1955 – October 21, 2018

Ellen Rawn
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Our Gail

I believe you don't meet people by accident. Gail entered our lives 35 years ago and I was so intimidated! She was beautiful, professional, intelligent and I knew it right away. She was everything I hoped to be. She exuded confidence and order and she was a young mother of two beautiful little girls. I was a senior in high school and I wasn't sure how we would ever be friends or how we would ever find a common ground but we more than did that. I think she thought..now who is this tiny little thing and what does she want? Scotty and Bruce struck up a friendship over their mutual love (or hate) of all things mechanical. Gail and I spent many hours bonding over coffee and cigarettes. I grew to love her babies and of course, Sunshine. I spent many hours watching Gail put on makeup and do her hair, often while I brushed Shannon's long brown locks. (Chrystal's bird's nest was never something easy to wrestle with!) We slowly became more than friends, we became family. She no longer intimidated me and, in fact, we became cheerleaders for each other, encouraging each other towards further education. I took Gail's first paper tole class with her but I never did have her talent or patience to continue. The four of us, and the girls, spent thousands of hours together. We dragged the boys to craft shows (and laughed when people thought we smelled funny ;), white spot, greasy spoons, husky, crossroads, the mountains, the motor home, travelled all across Canada - twice, Raymore, mountains and getting lost in Saskatchewan, a dead mouse under Gail's seat in the cutlass, airfresheners, the big pig, the big pig on fire, tornadoes, Sylvan Lake, water slides, funny "trips", the studebaker, the red cutlass, Mount Forest, snowstorms, the farm, losing Chrystal, popping a boob, cancer scares, Chrystal's sunburn, pride in Shannon's Young Canadians and acting and singing, Blue Mountain Collingwood, Sauble Beach, long phone calls, Bexley, swimming in Balsam Lake in May, trouble for washing Sunny in Roma's tub, "Grandpa", car and motorcycle accidents, Christmas dinners, birthdays, long letters, our wedding and Bruce and Gail surprising us on our couch the day before, Candy, the birth of our son and the Rawn's bringing us all home from the hospital in the motor home, the birth of grandchildren, the passing of our parents.... Gail was way more than just a friend to us. She was the sister we never had. She became one of my mom's best friends too and was an honorary pallbearer at her funeral. Gail was unconditional love to me. She was there. She was solid. She was intimidating, beautiful, opinionated, smart and she was our family. Scotty and I will never forget her, will love her forever and be truly thankful that our paths didn't cross by accident. Terry, thank you for being such a good sister to Gail. I know your presence during the last few months of her life eased her pain and made her passing so much easier. Shannon and Chrystal, you were her pride and joy. Don't ever doubt that your Mom would have walked to the end of the earth for both of you. You are her legacy and so are your children. Speak her name with pride. There will never be another woman in your lives that loves you as unconditionally as she did. She will forever be your ferocious guardian angel now. Thank you Bruce for letting Gail be the woman she needed to be. Yours is a love story that you both had to work at but it was in fact just that, a love story. You were her man, she was your lady and together you were a perfect match. Xxxooo
Posted by Lianne and Scott
Thursday October 25, 2018 at 12:46 am
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