Lois Eileen Milne

 UPDATE:        Lois Milne - Celebration of Life
              Will be held on Saturday March 22 from 11 AM to 3 PM, at the  Heritage at Leigh Square
We celebrate the life of one of the founders of PoCo Heritage, who recently passed away. Those who knew Lois are invited to attend.   Location of the Port Coquitlam cultural and heritage society in Google Earth (KMZ file)

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Sadly we lost our persistent historical preservationist a few days ago, after a short lung infection, that was going around in the care home, that she called home for the past few years.

The Tri-City News, Wednesday 26 February 2014, page A11

 Lois Milne, who passed away last week at the age of 83, was a driving force
for the preservation of Port Coquitlam heritage, including the creation of a PoCo history book. 

MILNE WORKED TO PRESERVE POCO HISTORY

"Words cannot express my gratitude to Lois Milne, president of the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society.

Whew! She set a pace that had me puffing.

- from Acknowledgements in the book Port Coquitlam: Where Rails Meet Rivers by Chuck Davis (published 2000 )

The city of Port Coquitlam is mourning the passing of a long-serving volunteer whose efforts ensured the city’s past will be preserved for future generations.

Lois Milne, who died Feb. 19 at the age of 83, is remembered as a dedicated volunteer whose passion for Local history helped create the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society.

“it is still a shock to me that Lois has passed away.”said Pippa Van Velzen, past president of the society ”She was my friend and mentor She was Port Coquitlam’s encyclopedia. Her incredible memory for names and dates was amazing. “Lois was a founding member of Heritage but that wasn’t all that she was involved in,” Van Velzen said. I first met her on the Community in Blooms committee. We got on like a house on fire! It was her passion that encouraged me to become a member of Heritage.”

Coun. Michael Wright, the city’s longest serving politician, remembers Milne as one of PoCo’s most active volunteers whose legacy will be the preservation of city history in a museum and archives, now housed at Leigh Square. 

      Wright noted that Milne worked at the reference desk at Terry Fox Library and it may have been having to answer questions from patrons that led her to getting involved in heritage preservation.

Mime was also involved in helping authors such as Chuck Davis and Edith Chambers in recording PoCo history in local books.

       Milne’s involvement in heritage preservation dates back some time, when materials were stored on the top floor of PoCo’s northside fire hall, Wright said. Many of these materials are now stored at Heritage at Leigh Square, which opened to much fanfare last year.

         Milne was also involved with the May Day Committee, the Friends of Terry Fox Library, Wilson Centre Advisory Committee and, when she moved into Amica at Mayfair she became chair of the residents’committee, Van Velzen said. 

      For her work, Milne was honoured with a volunteer award from the city and with the Governor Generals Caring Canadian Award.

According to the family, a celebration of life will be held but no date has been set. Milne, a mother of five daughters, was predeceased by her husband Keith.     dstranberg@tricitynews.com

Obituary from the Tri-City News 

 

MILNE, Lois Eileen (nee Frankish) 

       Lois passed away on February 19, 2014 at age of 83. She is predeceased by her husband Keith and granddaughter Sarah. Lois will be sadly missed by daughters Linda (Ron), Sue (Jim), Brenda (Doug), Kathy (Joe), Heather (Bryan); brother Allan (Vivienne); grandchildren Nerissa (Ben), Devan, Jeremy (Nikki), Nick, Lyndsay, Katy and great grandchildren Sophia and Jacob.

        Lois was one of the founders of the Port Coquitlam Heritage and Cultural Society, and was the go-to volunteer for many task forces after her retirement at Terry Fox Library. Her friends and colleagues shall miss her. Many thanks to the friends and staff at Amica Mayfair as well as staff at Eagle Ridge and Royal Columbian Hospitals. Private family burial. A Celebration of Life shall be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, it would be Mom’s wish that you give to the charity of your choice. 

Lois's  obituary in the Vancouver Sun, where you can post your thoughts.

✞ - 30 - ✞

 Lois's parents were her mother,  Clara Charlotte MacLeod, ( 1900 - 1966 )

father, William Thomas Frankish, ( 1899 -  1986 ) who was a psychiatric nurse at Essondale/ Riverview hospital.
 ( I did not know this, but the Frankish name is familiar from my researches into Essondale. )

Her husband William Keith Milne, ( 1922 - 1996 ), who went by his middle name Keith.

All buried in Port Coquitlam Cemetery, as I guess Lois will be.

        I was wanting to talk with her about some local history, no chance now. But I knew that she would have been very interested since her husband Keith Milne, worked at Huntington Rubber mills, and I know lots about the beginning company Gregory Tire and Rubber Company, but very little is to be found about the Huntington Rubber Company, and I was hoping that she would have known.

A passionate supporter of saving, protecting our local history, she will be missed.