LYNN CRAIG
Throughout her life Lynn Craig was a dreamer; a fighter; and an unbounded giver of love and compassion. Her impact is multiplied the world over because she was so generous with all - both to those that knew her and those whom she never knew their name. Her curiosity, kindness and grace drove the beautiful life she led that sadly ended on May 4, 2020, with her husband Ken and daughter Stephanie at her side.
Lynn was born and raised on a farm in southern Ontario. She was the youngest girl, and second youngest of 11 children. Born with fiery red hair, Lynn was a kind and gentle child that grew into a fearless and joyful adult.
At the age of 20, Lynn ventured from her small town to Vancouver to visit her sister. That trip would change her life when she met Ken. Their love would be an adventure lasting over 50 years. Ken was the best friend she ever had and the greatest man she ever knew.
Their marriage took them across Canada to some of the world's most beautiful and harsh places. Their adventure took them from BC to her beloved Yukon, on to the Northwest Territories and ultimately around the province of Manitoba, where they would make their home for the last 30 years. Their devotion to one another throughout their life in the R.C.M.P. and into their golden years, is something to aspire to.
On this journey, they became a trio, which was a formidable trio indeed. Welcoming their daughter Stephanie while stationed in the Yukon, Lynn embraced motherhood, giving Stephanie all that she needed. She spoiled her with the greatest gifts; kindness, work-ethic, and courage. Cultivating a fierce independence and strong opinions, Lynn supported everything that Stephanie chose to do - even when those choices took her far from home.
Lynn adapted with ease in each and every posting and left each one with lifelong friends. She volunteered and worked tirelessly while weaving herself into the fabric of the community. Those places, and the people that she met there, were forever in her heart and she in theirs.
Lynn was a lover of nature, enjoying camping throughout the beauty of the Canadian wilderness. She loved animals but most particularly birds. Her favourite was the cardinal but she wants to come back as an eagle - so she can have sharp teeth, which she didn't have in life. She was an avid gardener but dabbled in many different pursuits over the years as she sought the most out of life. Lynn loved music and dancing. Family kitchen dance parties to the Bee Gees were a regular occurrence. And she loved to travel, adding more wonderful stories and new friends with every trip.
But Lynn's greatest love was her family - both her family by blood and by choice. She was a mom to literally dozens of kids throughout the many towns she lived in and found her bonus daughter down the street when they moved to Stonewall. Louise Helbig was her daughter by choice and Madison Helbig was her granddaughter.
Lynn Craig embodied all that was good in this world and will not only be remembered by her family but the hundreds of people that she touched during her lifetime. Lynn will be deeply missed by Ken, Stephanie and her partner Todd Grant, Louise and Madison Helbig, and countless friends both near and far.
Our heartfelt thanks go to the professionals at the Stonewall Hospital, the Interlake home care staff, and the ALS team at Deer Lodge. Your care for her made it easier for Lynn and Ken to battle this disease together. Lynn faced her diagnosis with infinite resilience and courage, hopeful that from its devastating impact on her and her siblings, a cure might be found. Because that's the kind of person Lynn Craig was. The kind of person who would try to make things better for others.
If you would like to remember Lynn please help continue her fight against ALS by supporting the angels at the ALS Society of Manitoba or donating to I AM ALS, an organization who she helped inspire.
Because Lynn was so humble, she did not want a service. Actually, she didn't even want this obituary, but it was important for us to share her story of a life so well lived, with so much given to the world.