Skip to content

With sadness we announce the sudden passing of Lorna Gwendoline Ross. Lorna, Mom, Grama, Great Grama Ma, she was kind, funny, sweet, accepting and generous.

Lorna was born in Shirley and graduated from Milne’s Landing high school. She married in 1950 to Donald (Happy) Ross. Raising seven children consumed her earlier adulthood and as those responsibilities diminished she took on the care of a number of seniors in Sooke, Langford and Victoria. She was valued for her ability to care for clients in a non-judgmental manner and she did so with selflessness and humour.

Lorna devoted enormous amounts of time to her favorite projects: the Shirley Women’s Institute, TOPS, and the Sooke Fall Fair Society. Lorna could be found at almost every local craft fair raising funds for these groups – sometimes all at once. She was acknowledged for her contributions to the community with the Sooke Volunteer recognition award.

Lorna is predeceased by her husband of 53 years Donald (Happy), son Norman Mark, father Thomas E. and mother Lydia, her sister Margaret and brothers Mark, Gilbert and Charles. She leaves behind sons and daughters Thomas K. (Inga), Harry (Noella), Donna (Adrian), Kermet, Sarah, Cindy (Doug), grandchildren Linda, Melissa, Christa, Jeremy, Gavin, Elizabeth, Darryl, great grandchildren Michael, Abigail, Emma, Griffin and Kayla, nieces and nephews and her sister Dorothy Jane. Of special note Penny and Les Hillard, Chuck and Colleen Minten, Martha Moore and Amelia Anderson, Drs. Chris McCallum and Anton Rabien and Community Health workers Joyce, Diane, Cathy, Jan, Nicki and others who helped make her last years as independent as possible.

A memorial will be held on April 21st at 2 pm at the Sooke Legion Hall.