Sheila Metcalf

Sheila McLeod Simpson was born October 5, 1932, in the Hewitt Block at 18th and Lonsdale, North Vancouver, to Dolly and David Metcalf, and her sister Margaret. She had a younger brother, Sonny David, who died at age 2 when she was also very young.  Her mom, sadly contracted polio and Sheila remembered her visits with her dad and Margaret that required a streetcar, then a ferry, and another streetcar to get to southwest Marine Drive to get to visit her. Dolly died when Sheila was 10.

Her childhood memories include playing Kick-The-Can and Ante-Ante-I-Over (back in the day, houses were smaller and you could actually throw a ball over the house, back and forth).  Her dad made Margaret, who is five years older, take her everywhere with her - great for Sheila, annoying for Margaret.  Her dad's mom, "Gran", raised her as she kept house and made meals for them as her dad worked at the Burrard Drydocks.

Sheila and Walter married in 1950, and continued living in North Vancouver, close to their families.  They had three children, Dennis, Doug and then eventually Paula. In 1976, they moved with Paula to Pender Harbour.  Because of the kids, she was interested in all sports, playing softball and running and later on, curling herself.  She always won the races at Lynn Valley days too, even after she was married, as well as a Jitter Bug contest! 

Sheila worked at Kodak in North Vancouver, as well as in Pender Harbour fishpacking and the IGA.  She then worked at and retired from Lionsgate Hospital, where she met her dear friend, Christine Cameron.  She and Christine did a lot together including travelling, Saturday afternoon C-Lovers lunches and lots and lots of bingo!  Like tons of bingo....

She moved back to North Vancouver with her sister and then settled in West Kelowna with Paula and her girls.  

She became "Gran" in 1986 with the birth of Taylor, then to her other grandchildren Garrett, Carly and Shelby who all dearly loved her. Gran was also blessed with two great-grandchildren, Jeremy, born January 2019 and Jaiah, born November 2021 to Carly and Joel.  She was very excited to be a GG!

Gran's Favourites:

Colour - blue when younger, purple later on

Food - spaghetti and Chinese food

Food to cook - none, loved eating out (note: we have all had many, many amazing meals over the years at her house!)

TV shows - Gunsmoke, Ed Sullivan, Dateline, 2 1/2 men, Carol Burnett, I Love Lucy, also the Canucks, curling and tennis

Car - she had a navy blue pin-striped Volkswagen, which unfortunately caught on fire...

Movie - none in particular, but thought it was cool sitting in the balcony of the Lonsdale theatre.  Her dad would take her there and then to Willkie's Inn for milkshakes after

Actors - John Wayne, Fred Astair dancing, Shirley Temple

Songs - loved all sorts of music and fancied herself a pretty good singer.  She used to sing with her dad who played a push-button accordion.  She sang "When I grow to old to dream" at a wedding shower when she was four.

School - she admitted she didn't really like school, while Margaret loved it

Naughty fact:  Teenage Gran told the drivers' licence bureau she was a year older than she was so she could start driving at 15.  For years her licence read 1931 and didn't change it until she turned 85 when she started getting notices to come in for annual testing.  

Places Gran has been: lots of fun camping across BC - Watch Lake, Loon Lake when the boys were little; to Saratoga Beach annually with Christine for 22 years!  Texas and Hawaii with Margaret and also to Cancun and Palm Desert.

Technology - by 2011, Gran was playing electronic bingo, eventually had a cell phone, a tablet that she won at bingo, and subsequently upgraded in 2020.  Shelby set her up with email (grannybonzo7) and she was off then Facebooking and surfing the net.  

On January 10, 2022, we lost a great lady, so missed by her family and friends.  We love you Gran.

"When I Grow to Old to Dream" (1935)

We have been gay, going our way
Life has been beautiful, we have been young
After you've gone, life will go on
Like an old song we have sung
 
When I grow too old to dream
I'll have you to remember
When I grow too old to dream
Your love will live in my heart
So, kiss me my sweet
And so let us part
 
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart
 
So, kiss me my sweet
And so let us part
And when I grow too old to dream
That kiss will live in my heart