In loving memory of Lee-ette Dunn (nee Upton), who passed away peacefully on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at the age of 86 in Dryden, ON after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Lee-Ette is survived by her six children; John Dunn of Claresholm, AB, Craig (Christine) Dunn of Okotoks, AB, Paul (Ursula) Dunn of Quibell, ON, Lisa (Kevin Senger) Dunn of Calgary, AB, Christopher (Joanna Miller) Dunn of Winnipeg, MB, Deanna (Rocky) Besyk of Dryden, ON, special family member Jenny (Dennis) Williams of Calgary, AB, 9 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild, her longtime companion Bob White and numerous nieces and nephews. Lee-ette was predeceased by her parents Milo and Ethel Upton, brother Tyrone Upton and sister Maxine Turpin.
Born on August 23, 1931 in Dryden, ON, Lee-ette was a very active and talented youngster with a passion for tap dancing and music. Even in her later years, she would often find herself behind the ivory keys where the lighthearted sounds of her tunes would fill the room. If there was a piano to be found you could bet Lee-ette would play a tune. Her love of music was passed down to her kids, many of whom are talented musicians in their own right.
While spending a majority of her younger years in North Western Ontario, Lee-ette and her close-knit family eventually settled in Calgary, AB in 1963. “Ma”, as she was affectionately known as by many, purchased her first family home in 1970. The house in Haysboro was more than a house, it was a place to laugh, it was a place to cry, it was a place to make music, it was a place to fight, it was a place to make up, it was a place to get back on your feet, it was a home, it was “the house”. The door to “the house” was always open, extending warm welcomes to everyone who entered. From musicians rehearsing with her sons, to family friends, neighborhood kids, to the numerous boarders who quickly found that the room they rented was more than four walls and a bed, it was a safe place and it quickly felt like home.
Lee-ette was the matriarch and back-bone of the Dunn family. When it would’ve been easy to throw in the towel as a single mother with six children, Lee-ette stood strong and raised them on her own. It was this never-give-up attitude that made Lee-ette a strong independent woman. In 1995, Lee-ette returned to Dryden, ON where she met an old acquaintance, Bob White. The two became inseparable and Bob would eventually become her loving companion, visiting and caring for her daily when she became a resident of Princess Court. Thank you, Bob, for your love and devotion to “Ma”. Thank you to the nurses and care staff of Princess Court Long Term Care Facility, who provided such wonderful care to Lee-ette.
Until we meet again “Ma”, but for now we’ll be down here pretending we’re “grazing”.
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