Obituary of Sandra Dale McLean

McLEAN: It is with great sadness that the family of Sandra Dale McLean of Ninette, Manitoba, age 68 years, announce her passing on Saturday, December 26, 2015 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre. Sandra will be deeply missed by her husband of nearly 23 years, Jim; children: Scott Van Den Bussche (special friend Irina) of Calgary, Alberta; Pamela Withers (special friend Tom) of Treherne, MB; Shelley (Louis) Boulet of Dunrea, MB; Sheila (Jeff) Elder of Wawanesa, MB; and Trevor (Suzanne Hendriks) Van Den Bussche of Vancouver, B.C.; step-children: Lana (Lorne) Bunn and Aaron (Cori) McLean; grandchildren Alicia, Danielle, Kyle, Kelsey, Shanna, Laura, Andrew, Quinson, Amelia, Steven, Cody, Jesse, Brayden, Kenzie and Cole; great-grandchildren Brooklyn and Carter. She was predeceased by her parents Morley and Reita Rome and grandchildren Kara Elder and Matthew Boulet. Also mourning her are her sister Linda (Ron) Krushel of Brandon, MB; and brother Dennis (Karen) Rome of Wawanesa; as well as nieces and nephews. Sandra was born January 10, 1947 at St. Boniface Hospital in Winnipeg, MB. She was the eldest of three children born to Morley and Reita Rome of Nesbitt, Manitoba. After attending schools in Chesley and Wawanesa, she moved out on her own at the young age of 17 to work at Plains Western Gas and later Manitoba Telephone System in Brandon. She married Ron Van Den Bussche on June 26, 1965 and together they raised 5 children: Scott, Pam, Shelley, Sheila and Trevor. During those years, Sandra always kept herself very busy raising her children, baking and selling beautiful cakes, providing childcare for other children, attending various sports and school activities. While raising 5 children, she attended ACC and obtained her LPN certificate in 1983, and worked for many years. On January 2, 1993, Sandra married Jim McLean. Together, they enjoyed trips to the Calgary Stampede, camping, trips on the pontoon boat on Pelican Lake and rides on the "buggy" (side by side). She completed her Red Seal chef training and put her skills to use with family gatherings. We were never short of food at any gathering she was involved in. Sandra was very proud of all of her children and adored her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She shared special moments with each of them. She kept in contact with all of them through texts, phone calls, FaceTime and attended their many activities. She took pride in finding just the right gift for Christmas and birthdays. A small service was held at Brockie Donovan Funeral Home in Brandon, Manitoba on December 31, 2015, with burial in Minnewawa Cemetery. The family would like to thank her friends and co-workers who offered support to her during her illness; the many kind and professional people at CancerCare Manitoba in Winnipeg and Brandon; and the many different departments at the BRHC who were involved throughout her illness. Those wishing to make a contribution in memory of Sandra can donate to the Western Manitoba Cancer Centre, c/o Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation, 150 McTavish Ave. East, Brandon, MB, R7A 2B3.