Wife, mother, grandmother, schoolteacher, figure-skating judge, hospital volunteer, latter-day cat lover. Born April 18, 1926, in Montreal. Died Aug. 29, 2010, in Ottawa of pulmonary hypertension, aged 84.
Audrey Galbraith's life ended as it began, at home in bed. The home birth may have been difficult for her immigrant parents from Glasgow, but death at home in her sleep on a bright Sunday afternoon could not have been easier and more peaceful, at least for her.
Audrey was one of four children of Wilfred and Jane Stephenson. A child of the Depression, she could not realize her dream of attending university to study journalism. The family felt too insecure to have her out of the work force after high school longer than necessary to train as an elementary-school teacher. She taught in Montreal for six years.
In 1946, Audrey met Jack Galbraith when they became members of a church group. Courtship was followed by marriage in 1949.
Their years in Montreal produced a son, John, then a daughter, Jane, and subsequently her only grandchild, Robin. Although not a skater, Audrey became an executive of the Montreal Figure Skating Club and a judge after Jane took up figure skating.
In 1981, Ottawa became home when Jack was recruited for the public service. Although not fond of bitter winters, Audrey had no interest in becoming a snowbird, preferring to stay connected with the community year round.
This did not, however, prevent travel breaks, during which Audrey and Jack saw most of Canada and the United States and circled the world twice, visiting all the continents except Antarctica. A thrill was attending one of the Queen's summer garden parties at Buckingham Palace. Another was the pilgrimage for the rededication of the Vimy Memorial in France in 2007, where they walked over the same ground on which her father-in-law had advanced as a teenage infantry soldier.
In Ottawa, Audrey volunteered for years at a local hospital, participated in many community centre programs and taught English as a second language to immigrants. She was also a generous donor to more than a dozen charities. She became a first-time cat owner upon taking in two kittens, Pansy and Daisy, after the ice storm of 1998. When Daisy died prematurely, Audrey took on another rescue cat, Simon.
When told last May to prepare for death within three months, Audrey sadly cancelled a fall cruise for her 61st wedding anniversary. Her substantial travel rewards were donated to Veterinarians Without Borders so someone could travel in her place on a humanitarian mission.
Audrey, as the wife of a Canadian vet, as well as the daughter and daughter-in-law of First World War vets and sister of a Second World War vet, will have her remains put to rest under a military tombstone bearing her name and Jack's in Canada's National Military Cemetery.
By Jack Galbraith, Audrey's husband.