Zum Tode meines Schwiegervaters ein etwas anderer Newsletter.
CROSKERY
Robert (Bob) Croskery, beloved husband of Joan Faye Rylands Croskery of Lethbridge, Alberta passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital with his daughter Lettie and granddaughter Erica by his side on Friday November 22nd, 2013 at the age of 87 years.
Robert is survived by his loving wife of 55 years and by his four daughters: Ruby Jane (John) Vancak of Calgary, Alberta and Fairhope, Alabama, Edith (Rick) Stokes of Toronto, Ontario, Catherine (Michael) McIntyre also of Toronto, and Lettie (Andreas) Croskery of Lethbridge. With his wife Joan, Robert has been an incredibly loving grandparent to Catherine (Katie) Vancak, Meredith Stokes, Robert Stokes, Erica Lynch and Nicole Pommer. With an age span of 5 to 26 years, Robert’s precious grandchildren provided a wide range of delightful experiences for him to enjoy with these “fine young people”. His greatest gift to his family was his unconditional love, and his desire to include others in his passions: hiking and backpacking in the Rockies, wilderness exploration, cycling and of course, landscape watercolour painting.
Robert grew up ‘on the land’ in Tievenadarragh, County Down, Northern Ireland as the fifth child of Hugh and Letty (Ferguson) Croskery. He adored his three brothers and four sisters and together they made a beautiful, loving and supportive family, despite significant hardships including the loss of Robert’s mother when he was just five years of age. Robert’s early life was focused on helping his father with their potato and mixed-crop farming operation, developing a life-long love of animals, nature, the arts/music and practicing a strong Christian faith.
Ireland’s loss was Canada’s gain in 1953 when Robert was recruited to join the Bank of Montreal, and was given his first career role at the downtown Lethbridge branch. Robert chose Lethbridge out of a selection of southern Alberta communities because it had the largest population (25,000 at the time) of the potential opportunities offered to him! Robert’s career led him to management and inspection roles in Alberta (1953 – 1966: Lethbridge, Coaldale, Calgary, Edmonton) and in Ontario (Toronto: 1966 – 1985).
Fate, and a sorority dinner and dance in Lethbridge brought Robert Croskery and Joan Rylands together on December 13, 1957. Joan had been Social Convener for the party, and contacted Robert’s landlady to see if she could recommend an eligible bachelor to accompany a woman who was thus far lacking an escort. Mrs. O’Meara indicated that she had, in fact, two nice gentlemen she could recommend (Robert Croskery and his Scottish friend Angus Paton), necessitating the search for an additional wallflower. Instead of matchmaking two other couples, Joan had inadvertently connected with the love of her life!
When Robert retired from the Bank of Montreal in 1985, he and Joan returned to Lethbridge from Toronto and resided in Joan’s former family home in the London Road area. In retirement, Robert/Bob instructed art courses at Lethbridge College and hosted painting classes in Canada and Ireland. He was a prolific watercolour landscape artist which proved to be an extremely satisfying vocation combining his love of the mountains, the wilderness and the creation of beauty with his own hands.
Robert was very proud of his wife and “four girls” and was a supportive, uplifting person, whose loving words of encouragement echo in the minds of so many people both in Canada and ‘back home’. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to St. Augustine’s Anglican Church renovation fund in memory of Robert Croskery. Cheques are to be made payable to St. Augustine’s Anglican Church and mailed to: 411 11 St. South, Lethbridge, AB. T1J 2N9.
For family and friends in Ireland: In lieu of flowers, we are hoping to support Seaforde Presbyterian Church in Co. Down, Northern Ireland. Further details about how to make a contribution in this way will be confirmed shortly. This beautiful country church is where Robert would have spent every Sunday as a child – it was a very special place for him.
