BOORMAN
Mrs. Blanche Evelyn Boorman, beloved wife fo Dr. George Boorman of Rimbey, Alberta, passed away in the Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre on Sunday, January 9, 2011 at the age of 93 years. Predeceased by her parents, George and Possie Wallace and by one brother, Lloyd Wallace and a sister, Jean Bowman. Blanche is survived by her husband, George and six sons; David (Terry) of Red Deer, Michael (Annette) of Rimbey, John (Nancy) of Rocky Mountain House, George (Christina) of Vancouver, Robert (Pam) of Red Deer and Douglas (Karen) of Fort Langley. Blanche also leaves to mourn fifteen grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren, one brother-in-law, Gordon Bowman of Calgary and one sister-in-law, Betty Wallace of Creston.
Blanche's early years were spent in Calgary where she was born December 27, 1917. She attended school in Calgary through grade ten. When the Great Depression hit in the early 1930's the family moved to a farm they owned near Lacombe where Blanche completed grades 11 and 12. She then did a year of teacher training at Normal School in Calgary in 1935 before teaching for 3 years at the Benjamin school west of Rimbey. In 1939, Blanche moved to Edmonton to attend the U of A. She graduated with BA in 1942 and then took a 'war job' as a meteorological assistant at the airport weather office.
Blanche married her loving husband, George Boorman in 1943. She worked for a year as the librarian at the Edmonton Normal School while her husband finished his medical degree. They then lived for a brief time in Barrhead before moving to Rimbey in 1948. Here they raised their family of six sons. Blanche took active roles in education. She worked as a substitute teacher, was active in the Home and School Association, and volunteered many years as librarian at the Rimbey Public Library. Blanche loved books and loved to read to expand her understanding of global concerns. Blanche's church, Rimbey United, was foundational to her lifelong pursuit of social justice. She was one of the founding members of the Rimbey Chapter of Amnesty International and during more than 40 years of membership, she tirelessly petitioned governments and politicians all over the world in support of human rights. She took leadership roles on the church board, Sunday School, CGIT and UCW (locally and provincially). Blanche enjoyed many activities and sports with her family and friends, particularly skiing, golfing and curling. She had many happy years of playing bridge with close friends. And Blanche's passion for learning about the world led to many trips to many parts of the globe. Blanche will be sadly missed by her family and by the many people whose lives she has touched. If friends desire, memorial contributions may be made to the Rimbey United Church Memorial Fund, P.O. Box 7, Rimbey, Alberta T0C 2J0; or to the Rimbey Hospital and Care Center. Expressions of sympathy may be forwarded to the family at boorman@telus.net.