Mary Elva Mabel Hansford

Mary Elva Mabel Hansford

1938 - 2024

Our hearts are filled with sorrow as we sadly announce the passing of Mary Elva Hansford of Swan River, Manitoba on Monday, September 23, 2024, at the age of 86 years. Mary will lovingly be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend to many over her long life.

Mary was born on March 10, 1938, along with her twin sister Pauline Armstrong to Elmer and Jean (McKinnon)Richardson in Orangeville, Ontario. The twins were siblings for their older sister Betty-Anne Wheelock. Every Sunday Mary looked forward to talking to Betty-Anne over the telephone; they rarely missed a Sunday call.

Mary is predeceased by her father Elmer in 1973 her mother Jean in 1986, her twin sister Pauline in 1989 and her husband Howard of 61 years in 2021. Mary will be missed in the greatest amount imaginable by her family she leaves behind:  her son Daniel (Marie-line) and grandchildren, Ryan (Foram), Shaun (Jackie) and great grandchildren Hayes and Henley, Kristin (Darren) and great-grandson Krew: her son David and grandson, Hudson.

Mary grew up in a home filled with love on a farm located on Highway 10, south of the village of Caledon, Ontario. After Mary completed high school (Grade 13), she worked on the switchboard at the Peel Memorial hospital in Brampton, Ontario. Later, she and Pauline moved to Toronto and resided together at the Willard Hall while Mary worked for Blue Cross and Pauline worked at the TD Bank. Howard would pick them up to come home on the weekends. Mary married Howard Hansford of Caledon, Ontario on September 12, 1959. She worked hard making meals for the hired men that worked on their 300 head cattle farm and keeping a comfortable home with a flourishing garden all the while being a very doting and loving mother to their two sons, Danny and David. She never missed a sporting event and always cheered on her boys. Mary decided to get her school bus driving license when David started kindergarten and continued even after moving to Mazenod Saskatchewan in 1976 right up until David graduated from high school.  She and Howard taught their boys the value of hard work but also how to enjoy life and have fun. Mary knew how to have fun and had a great sense of humour. She always appreciated the lighter moments in life, where she could share a laugh with a friend or loved one. She had fond memories of their Winter trips to Florida where they spent time enjoying the sunny weather with their good friends, while always making sure she brought home gifts for all her family. Mary made many lifelong friends wherever they lived: Caledon Ontario, Mazenod Saskatchewan (1976-1982) as well as their final move: Swan River Manitoba. In her younger years Mary loved to curl and play euchre with her friends, bowl on the bowling league and snowmobile with Howard, the boys and their friends. She enjoyed spending summers at Madge Lake when she wasn't working, and would often take along her grandchildren, and camp in their motorhome making such great memories.  Mary loved to bake and always had bran muffins, cookies and chocolate cake on hand for anyone that might drop in. She had a way of making everyone feel very welcome in their cozy home. Every year she enjoyed growing a vegetable garden but especially took pride in growing potted flowers, her favorite being begonias. She loved having an array of solar lights lighting up her precious flowers. Mary was very proud of her computer skills: paying her bills online, going on Facebook daily, enjoying the funny posts her many Facebook friends posted and keeping in touch with family and friends on facebook messenger.
Mary loved and was so proud of her 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. One of her greatest joys in life was babysitting her one and only granddaughter, Kristin from the time she was only one until she started school. Once she started school, she would then spend most of her time in the summer with Mary. This precious time together created an endless love and very special bond between the two. Mary felt like she had been blessed with the daughter she wanted but never had. Kristin and Darren's son Krew was born on Mary's birthday which was very special to her, and she would make sure she told anyone she could. They were able to share ONE birthday celebration together. 

Mary looked forward to her weekly Sunday night call from her grandson Ryan in Vancouver. Ryan always had a knack of making his grandma laugh from the time he was little to the times he came home from Vancouver to visit. She always said, " Ryan is always so funny!" She loved to listen to the teasing and loving banter between Ryan and his wife Foram and loved when Foram called her grandma.

She always looked forward to seeing her grandson Shaun every day at lunch time when he brought his lunch to her apartment. Mary would always be sure to get up to her apartment as soon as she finished her hot lunch in the common room to have a nice 15-minute chat with Shaun to catch up on what he, Jackie, Hayes and Henley have been up to. Mary took pride that Jackie felt comfortable to pop in uninvited with Hayes and Henley on the weekends Shaun was busy, in which Jackie always made Mary feel like the very special grandmother in-law that she was. Mary cherished Jackie’s love and kindness towards her..

Although David and his family did not live locally, Mary enjoyed visiting them in Regina and Balgonie and would mention how she felt they would go out of their way to do things to please her and how she enjoyed her grandson Hudson's sense of humour and wit. Once Mary felt the travelling was too much, she was always sure to facebook message David every morning and night and looked forward to his daily response back keeping Mary updated with his well-being and activities.

Mary was well known as being a very valuable employee for the Westwood Inn in Swan River where she was considered a permanent fixture. She worked there from 1983 right up until she retired at the age of 80 years old. She loved chatting, catching up on the latest gossip, and having laughs with the people she worked with as well as the customers. Everyone loved her interesting talks and her infectious laugh. She appreciated that her managers, Brad and Frank treated her like family.

Mary loved her last year of life at the Heritage Manor. She made some very good friends there and would always say how much she enjoyed and looked forward to going down to the delicious hot home cooked lunches at noon and the 4:00 get togethers while being entertained daily with Irwin's great sense of humour, wit and friendly teasing keeping all the tenants giggling and laughing. Mary would look out her apartment window every morning waiting for Kristin and Krew to come for one of their frequent early morning coffee visits; she would be sure to have Krew’s favorite children show on her tv, toys out on her living room floor and a treat or snack ready.  

Mary unfortunately suddenly fell ill in the beginning of August 2024, which was devastating to anyone that had the pleasure of knowing her. She lived her last days in the Swan River hospital and was in the best care we could have ever hoped for in such a heartbreaking time.

Mary was simply one of a kind, and to have known her was to love her. She leaves behind an enormous hole in all of our hearts, and we will deeply miss her for the rest of our lives. We are at peace knowing she no longer must suffer and is with her maker and the loved ones who have passed before her.

If friends so desire, memorial donations in memory of Mary may be made to Swan Valley Health Facilities Foundation Box 1450 Swan River, MB R0L 1Z0.