Amelia (Mil, Millie) Whalen nee Cuculick
November 1, 1925 to January 12, 2022
With sadness and acceptance Bob, Karen, Rhonda, Paul and Ray announce that at the age of 96 our precious mother Amelia Whalen is finally at rest. She is predeceased by her loving husband Robert Ray Whalen, her Croatian immigrant parents Anton/Anthony and Andrijana/Andrina Cuculick and her siblings John, Mary Liebrecht, Rose O’Connor, Adeline Jamieson and George. Survived by her sisters-in-law June Piitz Bennett and Betty Whalen, and brother-in-law Gerry Whalen (Brenda).
Mom/Maw/ Nana/ Mil/Amelia has left an undeniable mark on the hearts of all who knew her.
Sharing in our loss is her very special and much loved daughter-in-law Lisa Whalen (Bob); sons-in-law Pat Forget (Karen) and her “Mr. Fix It” Jacques Forget (Rhonda) who will miss their ‘Maw’; Anne Rosart (Paul); Sue Rebelein Whalen (Ray); her ‘other daughters’ Louise McLinden and Gail Flood; extended family, especially her dear nephew Allan O’Connor & nieces Carolyn Barnard & Marilyn Andrews, and treasured friends.
Amelia is lovingly known as ‘Nana’ to Jonah (Seija) Whalen, Christian (Heather) Forget, Stéphan (Alexandra) Forget, Joël Forget, Stacey (Leareil) Mcmenamin, Sean (Jennifer) Whalen, and Katie (Jamie) Whalen. Of special joy to her was when she became a Great Grandmother to Mélina & Maëlle Amelia Forget, Léo Forget, Nolan & Ian Whalen, and Arya Buys.
Amelia was born in Port Arthur on November 1, 1925. She was the fourth born of six children. They moved from northern Ontario to Barrie when Amelia was 9 years old. This is where she lived with her family until she married her one great love, CNR Operator, Ray Whalen, on September 2, 1948. Ray and Amelia were the proud and loving parents to (Robert) Bob, Karen, Rhonda, Paul and Ray. On August 18, 1956 Ray was tragically killed in a car accident near Footes Bay. Amelia was six months pregnant with their fifth child, (Michael) Ray, who was born four months later on December 8th.
On April 27, 1957 Amelia moved into a home she purchased on Gunn Street in Barrie. This is where she raised her five children and lived for 50 years. Around the same time she found much needed employment with the Provincial Government working at the Barrie Court House as secretary in the Sheriff’s office; she held other positions throughout the years culminating in Senior Deputy Registrar of the Supreme, County and Surrogate Courts. Amelia worked there for 29 years until her well deserved retirement in 1986.
Throughout the years Amelia was a volunteer with many organizations such as a 60+ year member of the Catholic Women’s League, Grove Park Home Tuck Shop, Meals on Wheels, visited the sick in hospital and nursing homes, Share Life and canvassed for the United Way and the Arthritis Association.
Amelia loved old movies, reading, music, dancing, travelling, card games, watching and playing along with Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy; she participated in many sports; golf, cross country skiing, was awarded many trophies for both curling and lawn bowling. In 2000 she became a client of the CNIB after being diagnosed as legally blind. This challenge did not stop her. She then became a member of the Barrie chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB), Club 60; She met many others whose lives had also been disrupted by vision loss and got together and enjoyed a variety of social and recreational activities such as day trips, 5-pin bowling and summer lawn bowling where she not only participated but was the Lawn Bowling Coordinator for 14 years.
We take comfort in knowing our beautiful mom is in heaven, free of pain and finally reunited 65 years later with her true love, Ray. Also known as Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire due to their dancing finesse, they will be again waltzing to their song, ‘Because of You by Tony Bennett’ and to Guy Lombardo music. We know our dad will no doubt resume his long awaited after work ritual of sitting at the piano and serenading his love by singing their favourite songs such as Sentimental Journey and Chattanooga Choo Choo.
Mom most definitely will be greeted with joyful hugs and kisses by all those she loved who passed before her. Her reunion will be filled with lots of music, dancing, laughter, card playing, curling, golf, lawn bowling and an epic game of Jeopardy!
Shine bright up there mom.
A special message to Amelia’s second loving ‘family’: Our heartfelt gratitude is extended to the incredible staff at Bayfield Retirement Home and to the ParaMed Home Health Care team who provided our dear mother with exceptional care and comfort over the past 5 years.
We also want to express our appreciation to the GBGH Doctors Aparna Swaminathan and Rustam Rafikov, the LHIN and the Bayshore Home Care team which includes Palliative Care Team nurses and doctors, for their empathy, support and guidance.
Sincere thanks to Dr. Emily Queenan for ensuring mom’s peaceful transfer.
Dr. Brian Gaffney and Justine, your kindness and compassion will not be forgotten. You always made her smile, with or without her lipstick!
A funeral Mass will be celebrated at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, 65 Amelia Street, Barrie, on Friday, January 21, 2022 at 10 o’clock with interment to follow.
A Celebration of Amelia’s Life will be arranged in the spring or summer, the warmer weather that she loved, when hopefully Covid restrictions will be lifted.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her honour to Club 60, the Barrie Chapter of the Canadian Council of the Blind would be appreciated… Steckley-Gooderham Funeral Home will be accepting cheques under the donation name.