Alice Isabel Hetty (Bott) Tataryn of Anglin Lake was born in 1932 on the family farm in the Naicam district, the first of five children born to Janet & Horace Bott. As a child, she rode her horse Brighteyes to Norwegian Grove School, a one-room schoolhouse a few miles away, and used a carriage when her younger sisters began school.

For high school, she moved to Regina and stayed with her grandmother while attending Central Collegiate. She attended the Regina General Hospital’s School of Nursing, graduating in 1953, and began work at Spalding Union Hospital. She went on to become a Public Health Nurse stationed in Nokomis. While she was working there, she was introduced to Dick Tataryn, from Humboldt, by her sister’s boyfriend. Ever the romantic, Dick’s proposal occurred on a side street in Regina in his 1957 Pontiac while Wake Up Little Suzie played on the radio.

The two settled in Humboldt where Mom continued as a Public Health Nurse and Dad worked as the Public Health Inspector. They had 4 children: Tom, Russ, Susan, and Joe. Their last described by Alice as her “blessing.”

Mom took great pride in her work introducing innovative programs alone and in collaboration with her colleagues. After retiring, Mom & Dad moved to Anglin Lake where they had purchased property a decade earlier. They lived there together for 22 years.

When Alice saw something that needed to be done, she did it. This attitude led to a lifetime of volunteerism. For example, she was instrumental in the creation of the Humboldt Society for Aid to the Handicapped which oversaw a business that employed persons with intellectual disabilities and several group homes; she later served as the board chair. She was appointed to boards for several health districts and organizations serving as chairperson for many of them. Mom’s contribution to the health care system continued through boards and committees and continued right up until the end when she took advantage of teaching opportunities with those providing her palliative care. She initiated and developed the Anglin Lake-La Ronge Natural Gas Committee with community members to encourage the Saskatchewan Government and SaskEnergy to provide natural gas service up the northern corridor in order to improve the economy of the area, including Elk Ridge Resort’s development, and provide better living and health conditions for Northern residents; she continued as the chair of this committee until gas reached La Ronge even though Anglin Lake had received service much earlier.

Mom’s selfless attitude and work ethic did not go unnoticed; she was awarded the Humboldt Citizen of the Year in 1980; in 2003, she was a recipient of  the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal; the Saskatchewan Centennial Medal was awarded to her in 2005; she and Dad were co-recipients of the 2006 Lakeland Citizens of the Year award; and she was honoured with a Lifetime Membership in the Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association for her valuable contribution to nursing in Saskatchewan and was the keynote speaker at their AGM in 2006.

Friendships abounded in Alice’s life. She could make friends easily and was adored by all. She collected lasting relationships. No matter where her kids went, once their last name was mentioned, it wasn’t unusual to be asked, “Tataryn? Do you happen to know Alice and Dick?” Many of these lifelong friendships were made through her involvement in the Order of the Eastern Star where she was Worthy Matron of Chapters in both Humboldt and Prince Albert, through square dancing, and through her involvement in St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Humboldt and St. Christopher’s Anglican Church at Christopher Lake.

Mom shared special relationships with her daughters-in-law Sharon, Colleen, and Roslyn and her son-in-law Harold; Mom cherished them as she did her own children.

Of all Mom’s accomplishments, nothing made her more proud than her grandchildren. She and Dad regularly attended their activities even when it meant over a 1000 km of driving to do so. Danielle’s piano recitals, Taylor’s dance competitions, Luc & Logan’s soccer, Alex’s basketball, Jill’s rugby, Hannah’s fastball, and Chase’s hockey. With Susan’s marriage, Mom welcomed two bonus grandchildren, Sam and Ryan; Mom had looked forward to close relationships with them, too. Her grandchildren were the great loves of Mom’s life and she cherished the times spent with them more than anything else.
Mom had a close life-long relationship with God; the tragic loss of Tom in 2002 brought her even closer to Him. It was this relationship that removed the fear of death.
The family would like to thank the close community from Anglin Lake, our dear friend, Verdella, and Mom’s closest niece, Pat, along the nursing staff of Level 5 Medicine / Palliative Care Unit at Victoria Hospital for their kindness and the exceptional care they provided Mom.
The funeral will be at 2 pm on December 9, 2017 at St. Alban’s Anglican Cathedral, Prince Albert.

In Lieu of flowers, please direct donations to Dog Guides for persons with disabilities (www.dogguides.com/donate.html), the Victoria Hospital Foundation (http://www.helpthevic.ca/ways-to-give/one-time-donation/), or St. Christopher’s Church; when donating to the Victoria Hospital, please ask that the funds be directed to the palliative care unit.

Alice will be missed by many near and far. From “adopted” children, including a Japanese exchange student from 1984, friends made recently while vacationing in Osoyoos, and extended family from coast to coast. Alice is loved deeply by all. The world has lost a great citizen.

• Date : 2017-11-15