My name is Vi.  I have been a Chilliwack Hospice Society volunteer since 2002. My mother was in Hospice in Calgary and I wanted to understand her path, so I began to volunteer.  At first, just in the office and the Quiet room in the hospital, then as my knowledge expanded, so did the fields in which I volunteered.  I have also volunteered doing One on One’s, Vigils, Respite, One on One at Hospice with my dog and volunteered with my husband Jim for Hike for Hospice.  In 2016 I was honoured to receive from The Chilliwack Rotary Club “The Paul Harris Fellow Award”. Volunteering allows me to show compassion and love of humanity when people need it most.

For 20 years my husband was in the Canadian UN Force taking him to Cyprus, Egypt, Golan Heights, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem while the children and I stayed in Chilliwack.  We made this choice so that our five children wouldn’t have to change school districts every three years.  Our faith and our love for each other and our families kept us together for 53 years. Jim died in December 2018 leaving 4 children, 18 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.  Our son Robert died in 2005.

In my spare time I knit for my family, knit hats for the babies in the hospital, read, walk my dog Penny, enjoy our beautiful province, listen to music and work on whatever craft has hit my fancy at that time and baking.