Dianne Lynn Morgan

Words cannot express how much we loved our ‘Cutie Ma’ and how much we will miss her.

Dianne Lynn Morgan was born in Winnipeg in June 1942, and passed away peacefully in Whitehorse on October 3^rd at the age of 81.

Mum’s start in life was interesting just like her.  She was 3 years old before her father even knew she existed.  Mum was conceived when he was shipped off to war with the Winnipeg Grenadiers in the Battle of Hong Kong and became a POW for many years. Mum was nearly 5 when her father finally returned home from Japan, and she met him for the first time.  Once her father returned home the family moved around Canada and Mum and her older sister Sharon were inseparable and had many adventures together as Army Brats.  Including taking turns staying home from school when their little brother John arrived years later, as the sisters helped raise him.

Mum was one of a kind, she was the mother that everyone wished they had.  She was a bright light in our lives, always helping others with her joyous spirit and comforting way and she deeply cared for others, even strangers she would meet and befriend.  Mum was smart, funny, adventurous, kind, talented, and had a zest for life and especially her family and life in the Yukon.  Even though she was raised a city girl, she loved the Yukon and everything it had to offer.  Mum was a master fisherman, catching a 46-pound Alaskan King Salmon; she went white water rafting on the Tatshenshini River; and she was the last one out of the water in a Polar Bear Dip on New Years Day in her 70’s.  Mum was also an amazing singer and spent many years performing with the United Church Choir and the Whitehorse Community Choir where she was always the one with the biggest smile and the beautiful voice.

Mum’s love for helping people made her career choices a calling rather than a job.  She worked at the admitting desk at Whitehorse General Hospital before moving to the front desk at the RCMP for many years and then finally ending her career working for Legal Aid.  Once Mum retired, she volunteered with the Yukon Quest as well as the Royal Canadian Legion and she also got to travel with her husband Fred in their RV.  They often spent time camping at the Hot Springs and making an annual trip back to Saskatchewan to visit family and friends, and laugh about all their shenanigans along the way, life was never dull with our dear sweet Mum.

Wow, we were ever lucky to have had such an amazing woman as our mother!

Mum was pre-deceased by her daughter Cheryl Lynn Miller in 1980, something Mum never got over but like everything else in life she always turned a hardship into something positive and she spent the rest of her life giving back to help others.  She was also pre-deceased by her husband Frederick Thompson, who was the love of her life, his daughter Jennie Lynn Howie, her brothers-in-law Armand LaChance and Mervyn Carpendale, as well as her parents Francis and Olive Morgan, and good friend Gregory Bryce.  Left behind are her remaining children Mark (Krista) Miller of Haines Junction and Heidi (Brad) Miller of Melville, SK, her grandchildren Luke, Nick, Amanda, and Benjamin, her sister Sharon Carpendale, brother John (Carol) Morgan, her friend Rex at Copper Ridge Place, and many adored nieces, nephews and cousins.

A private candlelight memorial service was held for Mum at sunset along the Yukon River and it was truly beautiful, just like our Cutie Ma.  In lieu of flowers, please have a ‘Di moment’ and do something nice for a stranger: hold the door open for someone with a smile or pay for the order behind you in the lineup at the Timmy’s drive-thru.  Our Mum would love that as she always taught us to be kind and give back to others as “every day was a beautiful day”.

We wish to thank the loving care of the staff at Copper Ridge Place where Mum lived the last few years and the Doctors and Nurses at Whitehorse General Hospital where she spent her final days.  We would also like to express our gratitude to Reverend Frances Kitson of the United Church for her help with Mum’s memorial.  You were all such a God send to us and we feel so fortunate to have experienced your kindness and compassion firsthand, thank you for everything you did for our Mum.

We miss you Mum and love you so very much and our world just won’t be the same without you in it.  But we are so happy you are finally reunited with Cheryl and Fred again.  Thank you for the joy you brought to this world and being the best Mum we could ever hope to have, and for always being our biggest cheerleader. We were truly blessed to have you as our Cutie Ma.

Until we meet again, may God hold you in palm of his hand.