December 13, 1925 - June 28, 2020
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of our beloved mother and grandmother Jessie Shillington.
Predeceased by her husband Jack, her daughter Elva, and her son Robert Shillington, Jessie is survived by her son Warner Gary Shillington (Connie Ferraro) and by her daughter Sharon Vanderputten (Chris); by her granddaughter Meeghan Shillington, by her grandsons Warner Allan Shillington (Lisa), Jacob and Trevor Vanderputten; by her great-grandsons Logan and Ashton Shillington; by her sister Colleen Boyd; and by many nieces and nephews from both the McArthur and the Shillington families.
Jessie was the third of eight children born to Archibald and Gladys McArthur in Dundurn, Saskatchewan: Art, Thelma (Mattson), Colleen (Boyd), Jack, Joyce (Friesen), Kathy (Lachmanec) and Vernon.
When the family moved to Vancouver Island in the early 1940's, Jessie stayed behind to work as a nurses' aid, first in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan and later in Tranquille, BC.
She eventually rejoined her parents and siblings in Honeymoon Bay, BC where she met Jack Shillington and the two were married in 1950. The couple raised four children and the family settled in Nanaimo in 1962, where Jessie happily resided for the remainder of her years.
Jessie was the heart of her home and the foundation of her household. Always full of love, she was an extraordinary homemaker who cherished and took great pride in her family.
She will be fondly remembered as a loving wife, 'the best mom', and a forever caring and supportive grandma who was full of warmth, kindness, fun and spirit. A happy, positive and generous woman, her boundless heart was not limited to her family and extended to everyone who was blessed to have known her. She will live on in our hearts forever and will be greatly missed.
Special thanks to Ingrid and Gary Shillington, to Jerri Reimer and her family, to Karen MacDonald, and to Debbie Roberts for their continued support of Jessie during her declining years; and to the caregivers at Dufferin Place in Nanaimo who treated her with compassion and respect in the final years of her life.
A celebration of life to honour Jessie Shillington will be held in Nanaimo when conditions permit.