My Mom was a wonderful, fun loving, sometimes very entertaining Mom, friend and Grandmother.  She was a very talented teacher, had a beautiful singing voice, and was a very good friend and neighbour to many.  She was born in Eriksdale, Manitoba to James and Elsie Drysdale.  A younger sister to Wallace and Doreen and an older sister to Eileen.  Moira and her siblings grew up on a farm in Stoney Mountain, Manitoba. 

After graduating my Mom moved to Winnipeg where she attended Normal School, the teachers' college.  Her long and satisfying career as a teacher began at Morris, Manitoba in a one- room schoolhouse were she sometimes taught students older than herself.  This sowed the seeds for her creativity in teaching. 

Moira survived a horrendous head-on train crash in September 1947, where many people she had been vacationiong with perished around her as their wooden train collided with the newer steel cars of another train.  This was one of the world's first terrible train crashes of all time.  This left her emotionally and physicallly scarred, yet she recovered and carried on to develop her character and her career.  But she was always a uncomfortable often nervous passenger in a car.

Later she worked in banking in Winnipeg and Payroll Administration at BC Electric in Vancouver were jobs in which she put to good use her excellent organizational skills and meticulous nature. 

After moving to Vancouver Moira met and married Bill Mann.  They became parents to daughter Lenore and son Robert (Lindsey). As a resourceful and playful parent she nurtured her children well, often singing them to sleep with songs like Scarlet Ribbons, Greensleeves, and Moon River which was one of her favorites.  Another favorite was 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' and naturally because she also adored the singer/actress Judy Garland.

Over the years Moira enthusiastically participated in her children's education and extracurricular activities. They especially enjoyed hockey games and trips to the beach.  Their many pets included fish, turtles, frogs, canaries, (one in particular called Caruso who even sang when the vacuum cleaner was on) and a German Shepherd named Jet. 

As a neighbour in the Dunbar community of the 60's Moira was well-loved and famous for her strawberry waffles that kids ran around the block to get and for her mile-high lemon meringue pie.

Athletic by nature, Moira did speed skating and running in her yhouth, and later team bowling at the Ridge and Commodore Lanes.  She belonged to the Jerico Tennis Club for many years and was an active person who loved life, travelling, photography, meeting and talking to young and old.  Often a prankster, she had a geat belly laugh and a good sense of humour.  She was a social butterfly, often engaging surrounding tables in conversation while dining at Minerva's Restaurant in Kerrisdale - sometimes to the embarrassment of her grandsons! ( I am her daughter and seemed to have inherited some of these traits it would seem. )

Wearing her lovely blonde hair long and wavy for many years, Moira could light up a room upon entering.  Once a beauty queen, Moira modeled for print advertising and even with movie star good looks seemed rather unaware of her own beauty. 

Moira was an elegant dresser and a classy lady, but one who never minded playhing in the sand or garden with her children or grandchldren.  As a Hockey Grandma, she was devoted to her two grandsons, Tyler and Darren, spending a great deal of time with them, always loudly cheering them on during their games.

During her life Moira sang in many choirs, even performing at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in a professional group: she also sang at weddings and wrote poetry.  During her long membership in the Friends of Yellow Point Moira used her photography skills to create a unique album for them.  A prolific gardener, Moira was known for her beautiful patio garden at McBain where she was often seen acting as the 'unofficial greeter.'

despite many challenges and sometimes frail health Moira's spunky personality and strong spirt helped her lead a long adventurous life.  Moira was a very special Mother, Grandmother, Teacher, Neighbour and Friend to many. She was a blessing to all who knew her.