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The family of Reta Greer uploaded a photo

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

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Gregory Greer posted a condolence

Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Thank you for coming today to commemorate mom's life and to honour and remember the woman, the wife, the mother, the grandmother. Before I go on to celebrate mom and what she stood for, I must share with you the reality of what the final years were like since she was diagnosed wih Wegener's disease and the resulting kidney failure in 2000. Of course, nobody suffered more than she did, but Dad you're definitely second. We all shared mom's pain. At any one point, as a family, we were in denial, we were angry, or we were depressed. In the final analysis, it was mom's love of life and her plain stubbornness to not let the disease take over during these past (7) years that pulled all of us through. We would be remiss not to acknowledge the loving care, determination and compassion shown by the Renfrew Hospital staff, particularly the dialysis unit. We hope that they know that they have our heart felt gratitude and appreciation. When I ask people about mom, her smile and contagious laugh is what first comes to everyone's mind. She had the most beautiful smile I've ever known. Over the years that smile never dimmed and now, as we say our farewells, the memory of that smile burns through the fog of sadness and the haze of tears and reminds us how much she loved everyone in her family. Reta Myra Fisher was born July 1st, 1936 in Parry Sound, Ontario, the daughter of Thomas and Clara Fisher. She was raised on a small farm in Shawanaga township, Ontario, where she learned fast how to survive being the only girl amongst (5) brothers. Being the only girl, she developed a deep and loving friendship with her mother and, of course, when she became a parent, she recreated that same mother-daughter bond with my sister. Mom was the only Fisher woman to obtain an education. Not an easy task, reading only under the light of an oil lamp, with a father who thought that an education for a woman was a waste of time and a mother who could neither read or write. What he failed to count on was that my grandmother was determined that her daughter would have the opportunity to go to school and learn, and mom was thirsty for knowledge. At the age of 12, grandmother died, leaving mom without her mother and best friend. She moved in with her brother Earl and wife Vi, my father's sister, to continue her education. With "that damned Greer kid" living right next door, the conspiracy between dad's mother and his sister Vi to unite Reta and Art was hatched. A fact that dad will vigorously deny, after all we men like to think we have some control over our lives. Not to say that dad was a little slow, but it took him only (8) years before he married her. If nothing else, mother was exceptionally patient! Dad was going through training in the Air Force when they got married. With only a weekend pass, there was no time for a honeymoon. As most people know, when you marry a militay man you also marry the military and you roll the dice in terms of where you're going to be living for the rest of your life, but mom never complained. First came Winnipeg, where Brenda and I were born, then Ottawa, Germany, back to Ottawa, and finally to Braeside. No matter how tight the money was, mom made certain we lived in a home that sparkled, cooked wonderful meals, and always put the needs of the family before herself. Mom and dad have been devoted to each other for almost 51 years. Their's is the kind of love that is unconditional and eternal. It is the type of love poets write about and regular folks hope to attain someday. It has sustained them through good times and bad, through dark nights and sunny days, and has shown others how to keep a marriage going over a lifetime. The power of that love overcame any kind of adversity, thus letting us know we mattered more than everything and anything else. Dad, I can't know what it's like to lose someone you love that much, but we thank mom and you for showing us that such a love is possible. Mom loved her family and friends so earnestly and unendingly that absolutely nothing could shake her tenacious belief that everything would be fine if enough food, plain-talk, love and tenderness were applied. Mom loved those special family days and always hosted Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas gathering with flair. Not only had the family gathered around though. If anyone else needed a touch of family, a great meal or a warm embrace, the door was wide open and nobody ever left our house hungry in their stomach or their heart. We had a small family of four, but there was usually a crowd around our dining room table. Our multitudes of friends were always welcome at our house, and they knew it. Mom's love for us extended to our friends and then to our spouses and their families. Mom always opened that umbrella of love for them; Diane and Dale were never considered anything other than family. And when mom became a grandma, she cherished tha role and doted on Eric and Nik. They too were quick to realize that they were blessed with a grandma or nana who was good hearted, willing to listen to them, fast to forgive and above all else, would love them just for who the are. Mom's pesonal pleasures were simple; she loved gardening, reading, writing letters, shopping with the girls, visiting every flea market and antique store around, taking care of her indoor and outdoor cats and going for evening drives to see nature. Over the last (7) years, my sister has always been there for mom or dad no matter what the time. Brenda has inherited all of mom's best qualities, especially the same kind of ability to love and the capacity for generosity beyond imagination. Like mom, she has a heart the size of Arnprior and the wit to match. In her final years, dad did so much for mom. Since his retirement, dad's life has revolved around mom and the care she required and he would be the first to say that was just fine with him. Dad tried hard to meet the standards set by mom at home, but dad, I am sure you would agree that mom was just too good and in a league of her own. No one in the family ever though twice about helping mom and we all loved and cherished her so much that we'd do anything to help her without a thought. Her legacy is what she taught us all; friends and family alike, and the lessons were simple: that the heart knows no bounds when it loves - and that everyone, regardless of circumstances, deserves a home, a family and a sense of belonging, especially in their time of need. I'd like to leave you all with this quote, by Helen Keller. She said, "The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." If, by the end of her life, mom ended up touching all of your hearts - then I ask you, what else can anyone ask for in this world, but to have touched people's hearts before moving on? Thank you mom.

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Roch and Denise Meloche posted a condolence

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Being a brother-in-law of Greg, he knows how I appreciated his mother. I understand his grief and heart pain, having lost mine when I was 6 !!! I still mourn her... His mother was one of the sweetest and loving mother I know... She's UP THERE anyway. Roch Meloche (and Denise)and daughter Marie-Claude.)

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Marj and Don Zuba posted a condolence

Thursday, September 20, 2007

When I arrive in heaven I expect to be greeted by Reta. She'll have the coffee on and want to sit and chat about family and friends near and far. Our lives are richer for having a friend like Reta and we will forever miss her.

In loving memory of

Reta

1936 - 2007