Obituary of STELLA (ESTELLE) MARY CUMMINGS

STELLA (ESTELLE) MARY CUMMINGS

(nee KOPEC)

July 24, 1935 - August 22, 2017

On Tuesday, August 22, Estelle Cummings never woke up. She died in her sleep at home, in bed. Having rallied back from seven weeks in hospital and a summer of physiotherapy and recent visits with her two children, Max and Deb, perhaps she just thought it was time to go? We'll never know. What we do know is that after a childhood spent on a farm in Chatfield, she moved to Winnipeg to attend high school and then became a history and geography teacher with the Winnipeg School Board. She met her husband David Cummings at a YMCA dance and had two children whom she spoiled with her relentless stream of inventive recipes (from Sour Cream Jeanette pie to elaborate curries), her love of the world, endless stories and all-round "goodness." An active participant in numerous Franciscan retreats and workshops at St. Mary's Cathedral and St. Alphonsus Church, Estelle was truly a lifelong learner. From tap dance lessons (taken in her 70s) and Spanish-language classes to a learn-to-swim program and a university class on terrorism - she was always a seeker. Estelle never stopped being a cheerleader and she loved her family immensely.

We miss her so. Predeceased by her loving mother Frances Kopec and sister Elizabeth Jackson in 2001, Estelle is survived by three of her siblings: George Kopec of East St. Paul, Cliff Kopec of Sharpewood, and Verna Brooks of St. Vital; two children, Max Cummings of Philadelphia, and Deb Cummings of Calgary; and three grandchildren - Siobhan, Quinn and Mario. And too many beloved nieces and nephews to name.

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August, 30, at St. Alphonsus Church, 315 Munroe Avenue, followed by lunch.