Obituaries

Sheila Mary Young (nee Plater)

April 07, 1930 - December 27, 2021

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Obituary For Sheila Mary Young (nee Plater)

On December 27, 2021, at the age of 91, Sheila Mary Plater Young, passed peacefully, with her children by her bedside. We know that her dad, whom she had been longing to see since she was 9; beloved older brother Jimmy who died before he could “fetch her” back to England; her older sister Peggy; brother and protector Freddy; older sister Kathleen and younger brother Tommy will all welcome Mom home again. She has been trying to get to the “beach” from here for a long while and we know she has, at long last, arrived.

A lifetime ago, Sheila Mary Plater, the sixth child of Isabella and James Joseph Plater, boarded a boat to Canada. She found her calling - teaching “infant school” and declared she could not have loved her charges, the poor bairns of the Tyne Dock School, “any more even were they my own”. With a plan to see more of the World while doing the work she loved, in 1956, she left to teach abroad. Miss Plater took her first post in a tiny school in Sibbald, AB. Her younger sister, when she came to visit, advised her to “have fun but for God’s sake don’t marry one of them”. Marry one of them, she did.

In 1957, Sheila Mary Plater married John Anderson Young. With each baby she confessed, “Oh, I lied”, although she still loved her students, she could never love anyone as much as she loved her children. Three babies, and six years in Sibbald, coming from an island surrounded by people, to the Saskatchewan prairie was difficult. So, they moved to a farm outside Wembley, AB, where another baby made four. Closer to people, shops, civilization - but not the sea.

Mrs. Young, at Wembley School, taught generations to read, write, and get along. She loved the bairns of Wembley “almost” as much as if they were her own. It was not unusual to be stopped in the Co-op by former students who found themselves drawn to visit with Mrs. Young. She had a way of making you want to make her proud. She was kind and generous, proud and determined. Her acts of kindness have been revealed, years after their commission, modelling that true kindness is what we do when no one is looking. Her children would be shaped by that sense of service to others, and go on to be teachers and nurses. Two of each.

She retired in 1989; Sheila and John sold the farm and moved to Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island, BC, where even before they had found a house, she “could finally breathe”. She was drawn back to Grande Prairie by babies, staying long enough to teach her grandkids to read, before moving back to Qualicum Beach, and the salt sea air. A late-round of grandbabies brought her to Cochrane, AB, for more “school at Gramma’s”, and then back to Grande Prairie where she remained. Her favourite child was, “the one who needs me most” and we have each been blessed with that promise.

Our Mom would never return to England as planned, however, the girl from a lifetime ago, Sheila Mary Plater, lately had been returning to England in her daydreams.

Sheila is survived by her youngest sister Winnifred Plater, of South Shields, England. She leaves behind her four children: Beth (Duncan) Davis, Peggy (Jeff) Martin, John (Agnes) Young, and Alison (John) Laidlaw; her grandchildren: Seth, Jordan, Adam (Megan), Alyssa, Meghan (JF), Ben, Katie, Mackenzie, Darren (Natasia, Eloise), Jenny (Eric), and Kirby.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, January 29, 2022, at 2:00pm, at Oliver’s Funeral Home in Grande Prairie (10005 107 Ave). Her ashes to be returned to Shields when travel is permitted.

When doing their taxes we discovered that Mom donated monthly to Leprosy Relief Canada and Operation Smile, quietly giving back to little known, sort of forgotten groups of people.

In lieu of flowers, Memorial Donations may be made to Leprosy Relief Canada (55 de Louvain Street West, Suite 360-05, Montreal, QB, H2N 1A4), or to Operation Smile (375 University Ave., Suite 204, Toronto, ON, M5G 2J5), or to a similar low profile group.

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Condolences

  • January 20, 2022

    Clark Huston I was in Miss Platers first class in Canada at the good old Sibbald school (grade 2). She was a princess from across the pond. We students were excited when we started to call her Mrs. Young and equally disappointed when she went on maternity leave. Such a fine lady. God rest

  • January 19, 2022

    Mrs Young was my grade 2 teacher, even now, decades later, I still hold fond memories of her patience and kindness. I won a spelling bee in her class once and she gifted me the book, Aesops Fables that I have read over many times. I hope she knew how many kids learned their love for reading from her. I am so very sorry to hear of her passing , may she rest in peace Lori Ferris

  • January 19, 2022

    My condolences to all the family in the loss of your Mom. She taught me grade 2 at Wembley, I think. Your Mom had such a calming effect on all around her. She was always full of encouragement. My prayers to everyone. Joseph Sask

  • January 17, 2022

    My sincerest condolences are extended to Mrs. Young's family. Mrs. Young was my Grade 2 teacher in Wembley and I absolutely loved her. She definitely remained one of my all time favourite teachers. As an adult, I used to enjoy running into her at one of the downtown stores and always having such an enjoyable visit with her. You always left these visits with such a positive feeling. She was a special lady and I know she will be sorely missed. Charlene Eckstrom

  • January 17, 2022

    I was one of the fortunate children taught by Mrs. Young in grade 2 at Wembley School. She read aloud the Little House On The Prairie books in such a lovely way. I am thankful for her time in Wembley where she shaped generations of future readers, and I was glad to read she had dreams of England in her final days. My condolences to her friends and family.

  • January 14, 2022

    I was so sorry to hear of your mothers death. She was my grade 2 teacher. I lived in Wembley and my job after school was cleaning the chalk brushes. Whether or not it was true, she always told me I was the best chalk brush cleaner she ever had a very proud moment for a grade 2 student. I also remember her on a different level as Beth's mom when I would go and spend weekends at the farm with the family. Memories I still cherish. Although I haven't seen her in years I still remember her smile and would enjoy running into her as an adult and have lovely talks. Cherish all your memories. Sending healing thoughts to all her family.

  • January 12, 2022

    I was truly sorry to hear this about your Mom. She was such a lovely lady who always treated everyone with dignity and kindness. Hugs and Prayers to you all during this tough time of grief and loss.

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