We say goodbye to our mother, wife, grandmother and aunt. Laura Mathilda Seward (Lemberg) passed away in the quiet of the night following a long hard fight with her health, no longer suffering and at peace.
Laura is survived by her devoted husband, Pete of 32 years; five children - Jeff Muckle (Mary), Janice Muckle, Gerry Muckle, John Muckle, and Joanne Muckle; three step children - Kathy Davidson (Mike), Eric Seward (Shirley), and Judi Snook. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
Born in Toronto, Ontario, Laura and her family moved to Haney, BC. She loved the farm life in the Fraser Valley despite the hardships endured by the Great Depression and the Second World War. Always a self-reliant woman, and in a time when relatively few women pursued higher education, Laura put herself through the University of British Columbia and earned a degree in Education. She moved to Nanaimo in the 1950’s where she spent many years teaching and shaping generations of students at Nanaimo District Senior Secondary School. During this time, it was the life lessons learned during her younger days that would see her through difficult times as a single mother raising five children for over 15 years before finding the love of her life, Pete.
Laura and Pete shared a mutual love of the water, spending countless hours on their own boat before venturing into the world of cruising and eventually visiting over 55 countries on more than 30 cruises. When she wasn’t travelling the world, Laura enjoyed the quiet of home where she loved to read, do crosswords and spend time with family. She was an active advocate for the developmentally disabled and was a board member of the Clay Tree Society for many years.
Our family is especially thankful for all the support from so many people in the healthcare industry - caregivers, doctors, nurses and emergency professionals.
An open house will be held in memory of Laura on Sunday, March 6th, 2016 between 1:00 and 4:00 pm at the home of Mike & Kathy, 2546 Westberry Place, Nanaimo. This is an opportunity for family and friends to drop by and share loving memories.
As an expression of sympathy, donations may be mailed to Clay Tree Society, 838 Old Victoria Road, Nanaimo, BC V9R 6A1.