Elfrieda Elizabeth Helen (Specht) Stewart

Eflrieda was born in Burstall – which she called a “dusty corner of Saskatchewan” – to immigrant parents Max (d. 1970) and Pauline (d. 2000) Specht. The wrangler of two younger brothers, Herman (d.1998) and Victor (d. 2001), Elfrieda wasn’t destined for the farmer’s life. Her sense of adventure and desire for education took her first to Leader for her nurse’s training and then to Saskatoon to work in the hospital. When one of her roommates suggested a trip to Bermuda and New York in 1958, Elfrieda was the first to sign up, even though it meant a train ride across the prairies before catching a plane to NYC from Toronto. It was the first of many excursions she would take during her life.

This glimpse of a bigger world prompted her move to Halifax in 1959, where a nursing job, obtained through her Uncle Ross and Aunt Frieda, awaited. Ross and Frieda introduced her to a young naval officer, her future husband of 49 years, Clifford Stewart. Cliff was also from Saskatchewan, though he was hardly a farmer, either. Tall, handsome, and sharing her love of adventure, he was the perfect match for this lively and vivacious young woman. Married on October 28, 1961, their first-anniversary present was their first-born son, David (Peter).

En route to a three-year naval posting to England in 1964, Elfrieda and Cliff sailed on a prestigious ocean liner with little David in tow. On board, dining at the Captain’s table prepared them for a future Buckingham Palace garden party with the Queen. While in Portsmouth, the couple welcomed their second son, James (Laurie), in 1965.

After their return to Halifax, the family grew again to include Daniel (Janis) in 1968 and daughter Rosemary (Doug) in 1973. Following Cliff’s retirement, and wanting to be closer to home, they packed the family station wagon and embarked on an epic cross-country journey in 1974: four kids, one car, one month, and a great deal of patience.

Mom was very proud of her long nursing career and the opportunities it gave her to meet, help and care for others. She worked in medical, surgical, and geriatrics at a variety of facilities and finished her career in psychiatry on Unit 22 at the Foothills Hospital. She joked that when she retired, she would simply pass her line on to Rosemary, who was by then a nurse working in the same field.

Retirement hardly slowed Elfrieda down – if anything, her social and travel agendas only got busier. The Winter Club, The Knitting Ladies, Hiking Group, Samaritan's Sale, Horizon Village, and Meals on Wheels all kept her busy. Frequent trips to Toronto to visit James’s children, Lily and Graham, and overseas excursions to China, Africa, India, England, France, Germany, and perhaps most memorably Sarata, Ukraine (her mother’s birthplace) ensured that time with Mom was by appointment only. But her happiest times were at home for the holidays, surrounded by the cacophony of children and extended family when we could always count on her to dish up an opinion, her delicious pies, and her awful Brussels sprouts.

Elfrieda was a woman of deep faith, and Foothills Lutheran Church, her church of 48 years, was the backbone of her life. She spent many hours at Bible study, serving on the coffee committee, and doing community outreach. Members of the congregation will remember her trays of famous date squares and her warm friendships with the women she worked with. Her most impactful church community experience was the relationship she and Cliff developed with Mugi Dambi and her daughters, Marla and Michka.

A lifelong student of words, Mom never hesitated to share a sharp one and a well-placed comment. Knowing who won the Giller and the Booker Prizes, a fan of Harlequin Romances she was not, though she wasn’t above a really good murder mystery. She made friends easily and kept up with all of them through letters, phone calls, emails, and Facebook. She maintained correspondences with friends overseas that spanned almost 60 years. Her favourite, however, was when she FaceTimed with her grandkids Sunday nights.

The mountains and Calgary’s proximity to them were very special to Elfrienda. She spent endless hours hiking and cross-country skiing. It was a 15 plus year tradition to take a five-day trip to William Watson Lodge in the winter, where “the girls” would ski, cook, read and laugh a lot.

Elfrieda was a role model for ageing. Her children, their friends, her friends, and even strangers admired her zest for life. Stay involved, stay interested, keep learning, and keep moving. A good life motto for many.

Elfrieda was loved by many friends and family. Special thank you to Alice Cush, Zena Stirler, Elenor Garvin, Ann Marie Kothari, Dr. Dufrense, and Pastor Bode for your exceptional support. The family would also like to offer thanks to the caring and dedicated staff at Agape Hospice.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at Foothills Lutheran Church (3104 34 Ave NW) on Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 1:00pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Elfrieda’s name to The Canadian Mental Health Association, Lutheran World Relief, and The Calgary Public Library will be gratefully accepted.