Gail Harrison
November 8, 1945 –November 13, 2023
As published in the November 20, 2023 World-Spectator
Gail Harrison passed away on Monday, November 13, 2023, in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Born Patricia Gail Riddell to Lorne and Lois in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on November 8, 1945, Gail was the first and only child for nine years before her little sister Jane, and later brother David, joined the family.
Gail was an excellent student and excelled at mathematics. She was a cheerleader in high school and was always surrounded by a large group of friends.
She made friends easily, likely due to moving a lot when she was younger, living in Lethbridge, Calgary, Flin Flon, Manitoba, and Winnipeg. This ease with meeting new people was a hallmark of Gail’s personality her whole life.
Gail lost her mother to cancer at the age of 15 and spent the last of her teen years helping raise her younger siblings, Jane and David. Her dad’s remarriage to Felicia gave Gail a mother figure again, and their love and friendship endured Gail through hard times in her young adulthood and gave her support to raise her own family.
Gail married young, and within five years found herself a single parent with four small children, Duncan, Robin, Tami and Stacie, living in Moosomin, Saskatchewan, a community that would embrace and keep her for the rest of her adult life.
It was there that she met a farmer named Sinclair Harrison, whose dogged persistence outlasted mom’s own determination to never marry again, and they eloped in Las Vegas in March of 1975.
Paula was born in the winter of 1976, and Gail and Sinc raised their family on the farm outside of Moosomin for the next 45+ years.
Their kitchen was always filled with the smells of homemade buns, gingersnaps and chocolate chippers, incredible lunches and suppers.
Gail loved to cook and bake and was equally talented at sewing and other crafts. She loved to teach the girls, and later her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and welcomed them into her kitchen or sewing table.
She had an amazing intellect, had an acuity for numbers and words, loved puzzles and thinking games. There was no better partner for trivial pursuit! She had such an incredible memory, and an unmatched wit, and was always fun to be around.
Gail was an organizer, running the household, the farm business, and had her own careers, working for Myers Norris Penny during tax season, owning her own business, working as a facility auditor for Good Life Fitness and running the office at Bethel United Church.
The kids were always busy with sports and music, and the Harrison van was often filled with a crew, off to a lesson, tournament, or competition.
Gail also worked to support her husband’s political aspirations, traveling with dad to many conventions and events, or holding down the fort at home while he was at one of many committee or board meetings.
It seemed mom could accomplish anything, and still make time for her own friends and interests.
Gail curled, was on the UCW, the nursing home board, and had a large group of friends.
She always stepped up to volunteer for fowl suppers, funeral lunches, and other community events.
As kids we were so lucky to travel in our van on wonderful ski trips in the winter, and “down east” every summer to visit her family in Strathroy, Ontario.
Gail would load all five kids in the van at the end of the school year and leave Sinc seeding to join for a bit later, or Sinc would drive with the family down and leave early, having Gail do the return trip.
Gail loved to travel, and she had so many amazing holidays with Sinc and with her sister Jane. Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Ireland, Napa Valley, California, Antarctica to see Emperor penguins, Churchill to see the polar bears and beluga whales, Italy, France, and a boat through the Northwest Passage to Greenland were a few of her many adventures.
One of Gail’s favorite roles was “Nana” (Sinc “Papa”) and trips to the farm were highlights for all their grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. Everyone felt the warm welcome of the farm, and Nana somehow made each grandchild feel extra special.
The past five years presented some big challenges for both Sinc and Gail, meaning the sale of the farm and a move to The Williston Retirement Community in Regina. Here they met an incredible new group of friends. Again, Gail joined in the fun, busy life there, and felt so fortunate to have found such a special place to live.
Gail was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and thought she had it beat in January of this year, but when she was experiencing great fatigue, she discovered that she had a recurrence in September. After a courageous battle, she passed away peacefully on November 13, 2023, five days after we celebrated her 78th birthday, her children, sister, and husband at her side.
Gail is survived by her sister Jane; brother David; and husband Sinclair; as well as their five children and their families:
Duncan (Joyce) Harrison, their children, Mark (Megan), Lindsay (Cole) and Jennifer.
Robin (Ken) Brough, her children and grandchildren, Evan (Melanie) and Karina, Christopher (Cheryl) and Victor and Iris, Nadja (Jacob).
Tami (Terry) Weber, her children and grandchildren, Kyle (Danelle) Moffatt, Bailey, Felix and Maisie. Hillary (Marcus) Czemeres, Adally, Octavia, Tobias and Rosalie.
Stacie (Rob) Donovan, their children, Brayden, Brando, Brynn, Braila, and Brielle.
Paula (Carlin) Potter, their children, Caleb and Zachary.
A Celebration of Gail’s Life was held at Speers Family Center, 2333 Cornwall Street (behind Speers Funeral Chapel) on Wednesday, November 15, 2023.
In lieu of flowers, mom has requested donations to the Canadian Cancer Society, 1910 McIntyre St, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 2R3, in support of breast cancer research.
To leave an online message of condolence, please visit www.speersfuneralchapel.com
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