Obituary of Noreen Witzel

WITZEL, M. Noreen 1934 - 2019 Noreen passed away on Wednesday, December 18th, 2019, at Samaritan Place surrounded by her family. She was born to Ina and Patrick McKenna on June 26th, 1934 in Regina, SK. Noreen married Bill Witzel on November 17th, 1962 and together they had eight children - Chris & Ron Makahonuk (Sean & Emma); Patricia (Christopher, Amy); Don & Carrie (Andrew & Sarah, Claire, Monica, John; Jessica & Colin Gooding, Dot; Meghan); Heather Witzel-Garnhum & Darcy Garnhum (Quinlin, Molly, Reegan); Wendy Witzel & Tony Engelberts (Alexandra); Sandra & Kent Burns (Todd, Joe); Leann & Simon Houdek (Dawson, McKenna); Blair Witzel & Kerry Lyon (Gretchen). She is also survived by her sister, Bev Fell; sister-in-law, Jean McKenna; and sister-in-law Anne Schonhoffer as well as many nieces and nephews. Noreen was predeceased by her husband Bill in 1998 and her daughter Patricia in 2010 as well as her brothers Brian, Don (Mary), Gerald and brother-in-law Buster Fell and many of Bill’s siblings and spouses. Mom was the foundation of our family. She faced life’s challenges with determination, grace and dignity, ever a role model. Her favourite activity was spending time with family. She enjoyed taking day trips to multiple places in Saskatchewan, but also going on vacations to a variety of lakes, the mountains and to see her children’s families in Regina, Unity and Toronto. Mom was an avid knitter, creating many sweaters and mittens. She was also talented with a sewing machine - making outfits, wedding accessories, graduation and bridesmaid dresses. When she was younger, Mom was a natural athlete who participated in curling, softball, track & field, golf, bowling and lawn bowling. She also enjoyed watching her children and grandchildren in their activities. She was a patient woman whose generosity and kindness extended well beyond the bounds of her family. Mom was an avid volunteer with a variety of organizations. She devoted a significant amount of time to St. Francis Xavier Parish, becoming an active member of and serving with the CWL until moving into a care home early in 2013. Noreen also worked for many years at Sears, retiring in 1998. For the last six years Mom has valued her Samaritan Place family who has provided much more than physical care. Not only did she cherish their friendship, but so did we, her family. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Samaritan Place (375 Cornish Rd, Saskatoon, SK S7T 0P3) or Parkinson Canada (2103 Airport Dr #110B, Saskatoon, SK S7L 6W2).