January 21, 2021
1932-2021 ~ Gwendolyn Isabelle Pincombe (nee Sharples), a fiercely loving mother and wife, a formidable wit, a loyal friend, a champion of the underdog, who was brave and beautiful in all she undertook, passed peacefully at Shorncliffe care home in Sechelt B.C. on January 21, 2021. She was in her 88th year. S
he was predeceased by her parents Alan Sharples and Viola Sharples (nee Hamlyn), and her sister Shirley Wilson. She is survived by her loving husband Robert, her daughters Cathy (Larry Dubois), Nancy, her son, Rob, and her granddaughter, Daphne.
Gwen was born in Claresholm Alberta in 1932 close to a lively network of extended family and cousins. She threw a wicked softball. Gwen became a nurse, and was a keenly accurate diagnostician all her life. She was known for her ability to help friends and family, diagnosing pleurisy and peptic ulcers, inner ear issues and infections, often over the phone.
She was artistic and enjoyed painting, making hats, and writing limericks. Gwen loved the long views of prairies, but not the biting wind, so she moved to the west coast. She met the love of her life, Robert, and they married in 1966.
They moved to a little hobby farm in Aldergrove B.C. where they tended 7 acres of hazelnuts, a large garden and animals and poultry of every sort. Their children, Cathy, Nancy and Rob will always remember this as an idyllic place. Later the family moved to Langley and made some long lasting friendships. Gwen enjoyed entertaining, creating incredible meals, and playing Bridge. She was disturbingly good at crossword puzzles. Robert and Gwen finally downsized to Sechelt.
Although Gwen had become blind after losing a long battle with macular degeneration, she delighted in the smell of the sea and in hearing the sounds of waves from her bedroom. The family is grateful for the gentle care she received at Shorncliffe intermediate care facility.