Sandra Rae VERSTEEG

Mrs. Sandra Rae Versteeg-McDougall - February 18, 2009 Versteeg-McDougall, Sandra Rae Sandra Rae Versteeg-McDougall, radiant, loving and compassionate wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, and colleague, died on February 18th, in St. Albert, Alberta, after a valiant battle with cancer. She was 47. Much-loved wife of the late Charles William McDougall, caring mother of Robert and Kelsey, and generous step-mother to Christopher and his wife Julie. Cherished daughter of Harry and Sylvia Versteeg, grand-daughter to Orma and Harold Pawsey, and sister, sister-in-law, and aunt to Gary, Barb, and Angela. Lovingly remembered by her sisters- and brothers-in-law Susan and François, Deborah and Medard, Jim (and the late Jane Lanthier), and by all their children. Held dear by countless others as a treasured niece and cousin, and as a wonderful friend and gifted accomplice. Sandy will be remembered by those whom she touched for her dignity and generosity, and for her tenderness and courage. She stubbornly tilted against conventional wisdom, shunned the impersonal, and would smile patiently whenever people resisted her striving to treat life's hardest passages with a buoyant touch, while still honouring their importance. When she talked, it was always with a joyous sense that she was sharing a unique moment, and her unstinting warmth, enthusiasm, and humour were inescapably catching. Sandy urged all of us to be better people through her own selflessness, as well as through her formidable grace in the face of illness and death. She only ever wanted to be able to raise her children with love and hopefulness, and she did a magnificent job of it. She was also proud of her gardening skills, which were modest, and of her cooking, which was exquisite. The family wishes to thank, for their tireless belief, dedication, and support, all their friends and relatives, the staff at Sturgeon Community Hospital, and especially Dr. Jim Bell. The same gratitude is extended to Dr. Michael Smylie and everyone else at the Cross Cancer Institute, from whom Sandy both drew and provided comfort and inspiration. A Celebration of Sandy’s life will be held on Monday, February 23, at 2pm, at the Evergreen Chapel, 16204 Fort Road, Edmonton, with Reverend Doug King officiating. In lieu of flowers, memorial tributes can be made, if friends so desire, to the Alberta Cancer Foundation, the Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation, or to their choice of other cancer or breast cancer research or treatment organizations.