Obituary of EILEEN PEPPLER

EILEEN ALICE PEPPLER

(NEE DILK)

It is with deep sadness that the family of Eileen Peppler, aged 81, shares the news of her passing on December 7, 2018. Eileen will be lovingly remembered by her husband, Rod, of 61 years, and by her two children, Blair (Darlene) and Kim (Kevin) and her three cherished grandsons, Will, Bryn and Simon. Eileen is survived by her brother, Brian (Marilyn), and their three sons, her nephews, Sean, Ryan and Aaron. In addition, Eileen will also be fondly remembered by her sister-in-law, Sandra Fritz (John), and their two children, Jackie and Greg. Eileen is predeceased by her parents, John and Linda Dilk, and by her twin brother, Alvin.

Eileen was born and raised in Waldersee, Manitoba, where she lived until the age of 18. It was here she met Rod, and shortly thereafter she left there to make her life in Winnipeg. She began working at Paulin Chambers, where she served as a plant supervisor, in charge of flavours – what a sweet job! When the plant eventually closed in 1991, it was not the end of her working career; as part of the nest chapter in her life, Eileen took up the task of caring for her young grandsons – a career she lovingly embraced!

It was here that one of her unique talents revealed itself: Eileen could have and indeed should have had a career in early childhood education. The things she could encourage her grandsons to do – she could cajole and persuade them into

eating (most of!) their vegetables and out of (most) kinds of trouble, with very little effort. Eileen set up a full-blown craft centre in the basement of her home, so the boys never lacked for anything stimulating and motivating for them to do. Eileen helped them to develop their sense of creativity and gave Eileen a chance for her to express hers! While she would work away in the garden or rec room, they would cut, glue and create and even dig about, making the neatest crafts and finding the best treasures and creepiest crawlies. Eileen would stop to enjoy and admire their deed or ‘find’ and then turn it into a teachable moment. Having their grandmother care for them when they were so young truly helped shape and mould her grandsons into the fine young men they are today.

Eileen was truly a creative soul. She could make something from nothing – literally! Fabric remnants became her daughter’s dresses, old socks and forgotten buttons became hand puppets, bits of yarn, glitter and pipe cleaners became cherished Christmas ornaments. Her hand-sewn garments and household furnishings and draperies were works of art – they only differed from store-bought in that they did not have a label in them. Her grandsons never ever had to wear those awful store-bought sweatpants, shirts or shorts; Grandma’s marvelous machine kept them clothed and ready for their days of adventure! Eileen could sew, crochet, do millinery, petit point, crewel stich and embroidery, and then, when those talents faded from popularity, she outdid Michaels doing many a craft. We have all been the lucky recipients of Eileen’s handiwork.

You could never enter her home without the offer of a freshly, baked treat; the cookie jar on the kitchen counter was never empty – it was almost like magic! Even Buddy, her fur-grandson, knew where his special cookies were kept. Eileen was an amazing cook, experimenting with new gourmet recipes to grace her table for family and friends to enjoy. An invitation to their home was a true gastronomic experience. Eileen’s perfectly roasted meats, her fluffy potatoes, her velvety smooth gravy and delectable salads were both generous in their helpings and oh so delicious to enjoy!

Eileen spent countless hours tending her multi-tiered garden on Scotia Street; no patch of ground was safe from Eileen’s spade and her green thumbs! Her passion for gardening resulted in prize-winning orchids, delectable tomatoes and astounding colourful displays of seasonal flowers. Many a friend and family member have several of Eileen’s carefully-tended plants and flowers flourishing in our gardens, growing happily away due to the good start they had in her garden.

Eileen had several varied interests and hobbies to occupy her time.  She was a life-long member of the Lutheran Church, where she and Rod made and fostered many life-long friendships. As a young couple, Rod and Eileen loved to dance; she could really cut a rug! She was quite athletic as well, playing softball in her home town, dancing, running races at the Paulin’s family picnic, and finally going on power walks with her grandsons. 

Eileen was able to find room in her heart to give back to her community in a very meaningful way: she volunteered in the gift shop at the Seven Oaks Hospital and was a member of the Gold Wing Ambassadors at the Winnipeg International Airport for 10 years. She loved greeting and meeting new people there, as their got off their flights. A highlight of her time at the airport was being greeted personally by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in the reception line! She even has the photographic evidence to prove it!

Eileen loved to travel, both here in Canada and the United States, and overseas to far-flung places in Europe as well. Again, it was not just the sightseeing that interested and excited her; it was meeting new people and having new cultural experiences – a passion she has gifted to both her children and all her grandsons. Travel really appealed to her sense of adventure; there was never a dull moment with Eileen around! She could always be called upon to try new and exciting things, like Belgian endive or sneaking into museums when no one was looking, only to emerge 45 minutes later, giggling like a school girl!

Eileen loved a good card game. When like-minded friends were over for an evening, no sooner was the table cleared after dinner than you would hear the familiar ‘SNAP’ of the deck of cards being shuffled, in preparation for the big game that night! She loved teaching her children these games as well, and in turn her grandsons. Sometimes it was challenging for Eileen to get the young’uns to ‘sit’ on a good hand – all that squiggling and giggling told everyone at the table what was in your hand – but in the end, the effort was well worth it, as many an evening at the family cottage was whiled away over the card table.  

Building the family cottage was also the realisation of one of Eileen’s big dreams. She and Rod wanted a place where everyone could meet and spend time with family and friends that was not more than an hour’s drive from Winnipeg. They designed and built their cottage from the ground up, doing it over a few summers so they could get things ‘just right’; the result was well-worth the effort. Their cottage became a welcoming beacon for family and friends to spend days, evenings, weekends and sometimes even weeks at a stretch. Her cottage was always open to any visitors who cared to come.

It was both here at the cottage and in her garden back home where Eileen tended to her birds. She had so many birdhouses and birdfeeders, it took her great effort and cost to feed and tend to them all. But no bird ever went hungry or homeless in Eileen’s garden!

Eileen will always be remembered for her friendly smile, her cheerfulness, her sense of humour and adventure, her whimsical spirit, her optimism and of course for her undying support and love for her family. No matter who big or small the problem, she could always make us feel better. Her departure will leave a marked gap in our family and in our hearts.

Special thanks go out to Dr. Sneider and the HSC emergency staff, as well as to Nicole Allen, who were all invaluable to us on Friday night; their assistance and sensitivity were greatly appreciated. The family would also like to thank the staff at Amber Meadow for their assistance and care in more recent times. Of course, we cannot forget to mention Sandra and John Fritz, for their constant support, love and kindness for both Eileen and Rod; your friendship and company reminded both Eileen and Rod that they were truly loved! 

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Jocelyn House at 177 Egerton Rd., Winnipeg, MB, R2M 2W7 or at www.jocelynhouse.ca or, a charity of your choice.  

Funeral services for Eileen will be held on Saturday, December 29 at 11:00 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 2528 King Edward St. at Inkster Blvd.