Sherolyn May (Addie) Parker

Sherolyn Parker of Calgary passed away peacefully surrounded by family on February 16, 2025 in her 94th year. She was predeceased by her husband, Eric Ross Parker, and by her second husband, Albert Edward Chase. Sherrie was a spirited lady well regarded by many for her keen perceptiveness and sensitivity to people she met. She had a great sense of humour and appreciation of beauty in the world around her.

Sherolyn was born on March 29, 1931 in Noranda to Verna Donovan and Rev. Canon Gordon Rennie Addie. She was raised in the province of Quebec, where she moved to various towns through her father’s ministerial appointments in the Anglican Diocese of Quebec (Noranda, Rawdon, Saint-Jean sur Richelieu, Cowansville, and Montreal). 

She met her future husband, Eric (Ric) Parker, then president of the Student’s Union at Dawson College in Montreal. They were married on May 31, 1952 at the Church of the Ascension by her father, and ventured west to Calgary that same year, where Ric began work with Shell Canada. His career with Shell moved them to Regina (1953-1958), Calgary (1958-1960), Edmonton (!960-1969), then back to Calgary (1969-1981). Ric and Sherrie bought their dream property with the intention of starting a grape farm in Fenwick, Ontario. Tragically Sherry lost the love of her life Ric to cancer in 1983. Sherry then moved to Calgary to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

In moving to Calgary, Sherrie embarked on the travelling phase of her life combined with an ardent zeal for hiking and skiing. Her first trip to Egypt lit the fire and from then on it was Turkey, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Africa, Asia and South America. She joined the Weekenders (hiking group) and led a number of trips into the mountains of Alberta. A variety of connections happened that allowed her to develop tours to the City of New York. It was not her first trip to the Big Apple. She had been there previously with her mother to see Frank Sinatra in concert. She was a Bobby-soxer. During a university-led tour to Italy she met Albert Chase, and after a whirlwind romance they were engaged in Italy and married in 2003. 

Sherrie was a devoted mother to three children by Eric, the youngest of which, Alison Hale, was tragically lost to leukemia at the age of 14 in 1978. She will be dearly missed by her son, Kenneth Ross (Midori Kasahara), daughter Colleen Leslie Thomson, 6 grandchildren  ̶  Sherolyn (Joel), Jennifer, John (Lindsay), Byron (Kirstyn), Sumire and Luka; and 6 great-grandchildren (Isla, Isaak, Eli, Eric, Aiden and Kayce) as well as all who knew her. 

A Memorial Service will be held at Christ Church Anglican Calgary (3602 8 St SW) on Thursday, March 20, 2025 at 2:00 pm.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sherolyn May (Addie) Parker, please visit our floral store.