Obituary of Marlene Vrana

 

Marlene Edith Vrana

March 28, 1941 – May 20, 2023

 

Marlene Vrana (née Hawkins) 82, of Gananoque, passed away peacefully on May 20, 2023 at her home in Fox Run. 

 

 

Born in Kingston to Harold and Winnifred Hawkins, Marlene grew up in Gananoque.  After high school, she was a cheerleader for the football team at RMC in Kingston where she met her husband George in the fall of 1960.  They were married in 1962 and moved to Germany where George was posted with the Canadian Air Force in Baden-Solingen.  Marlene and George loved to travel throughout Europe while they were there, often camping with their convertible Karman Ghia.  They were transferred to Montreal where they had their daughter Janet before being stationed in Sacramento, California in 1964.  They returned to Montreal in 1965 where their son Richard was born and remained in Quebec until 1972.  From there, the family relocated to Oakville, Ontario, spending lots of Christmas holidays and skating on the Sixteen Mile Creek with Marlene’s brother Robert, his wife Ellen and their children Christine, David and Patricia.  Marlene went to Sheridan College in Oakville to receive her legal secretary certificate and worked for a real estate lawyer until she retired in 1995.

 

After they retired, Marlene and George sold their home in Oakville and returned to Gananoque where they bought a house in town.  They also acquired land with a small cabin on Tremont Island with plans to build their dream cottage adjacent to Marlene’s siblings.  The family had enjoyed many summers in early years on Tremont Island.  Early morning fishing expeditions often resulted with Marlene catching the biggest fish despite agreeing to switch lures with Richard and Janet who were convinced that the move would swing the luck in their favour.  Afternoons were filled with swimming off the dock in Al’s bay, waterskiing, rowing around the island and boating picnics to Leek Island. 

 

While Marlene and George lived in the little sleeping cabin on the new island property, there were 9 long summers of clearing the land and working alongside the building crew with Rich’s help and Marlene as clean up crew and cook.  The new Viceroy cottage was finally completed in 2005, allowing for future memory making with their friends and family.   Honouring George’s heritage, they decided to name the cottage “Rusulka, named after a Czech opera based on a female water sprite or nymph presiding over a freshwater lake or river.

 

After George (aka Bear) passed away in 2015, Marlene lived on her own in Gananoque for 4 years until increasing signs of confusion forced a move in 2019 to Fox Run by the River Retirement Residence.  Within the first year, Marlene’s dementia advanced which necessitated her transfer to the new memory care wing at Fox Run to receive the increased level of care that she needed.  The family took great comfort knowing that Heather Howard and her wonderful team members at Fox Run made Marlene feel at home with their loving care and attention, despite the challenges during the pandemic.  

 

After her long and brave battle with dementia, Marlene passed away peacefully on May 20, 2023.  Her brothers Allan, Robert, Dennis, and sister Nancy Waldie survive her along with her brother in law Chuck (George's only brother) and his wife Jacqueline. Her brother Kenneth predeceases her.  Marlene leaves behind her daughter Janet McCleery, her husband John and their children Owen & Tara, and her son Richard Vrana, his wife Jennifer and their children Brock, Alexis and Ava.  We will always remember her sense of humour and love of gardening, puzzles, sewing, cooking and dancing.  

 

Rest in peace Marlene, somewhere over the rainbow where blue jays fly.

 

The family is planning a private memorial to inter Marlene’s ashes at the Gananoque cemetery in July, followed by a Celebration of Life with the Hawkins clan and island neighbours.