Phyllis Jean (Cooper) Kimber

After 100 good years our mother Phyllis Jean Kimber passed away gently in her sleep on July 16, at the Comox Valley Senior’s Village. She was born on March 8, 1925, in Farnham, England, the youngest of five. As a young woman she served her country in the Women’s Royal Navy Service (WRNS) during the Second World War. In 1953 she and her husband Ken Kimber emigrated to Canada with their two young daughters, Judy and Barbara. They settled in Montreal and found their way to the West Island area where Phyllis was a homemaker and a volunteer with a number of community organizations including Meals on Wheels and Save the Children. Phyllis was an ardent seamstress, and for many years she created an extensive doll’s wardrobe which was raffled off with a doll to pay for a Christmas party for a group of children with intellectual disabilities.

Upon retirement, Phyllis and Ken moved west to Sechelt as they felt the community was much like an English seaside town. Phyllis greatly improved her quilting skills by joining the Sunshine Coast Quilters’ Guild. She made many friends while attending the quilt meetings and craft classes over twenty years. Phyllis was especially fond of her quilting time spent with the Loose Threads in her later years. She will be remembered for the many beautifully sewn quilted bags (and peach pies) that she made to raise funds for the St. Mary’s Hospital Auxiliary every Christmas. Phyllis also had a passion for gardening and was a member of the Sechelt Gaarden Club, where for a time she enjoyed choosing the floral prizes to be handed out and learned the art of Japanese flower arranging.

Phylis is lovingly remembered by her family, her daughters Judy (Tony Arnold) and Barbara (Reinhard Sprogis) and her grandchildren Megan and Cameron and by relatives in England.

In 2022, she moved to the Comox Valley to be near her daughter Judy. This year she received letters of congratulations from King Charles and from Mary Simon, the Governor General of Canda, in celebration of her 100th birthday.

The family extends their sincere gratitude to the staff at Comox Valley Seniors Village for the gentle care and compassion they gave her in her final years. We all hear her sewing machine humming daily.