Obituary of Willa Fowles

Willa Barbara Fowles

 Née Yates

FOWLES: Willa Barbara Fowles passed away on Monday, June 10, 2024 at the Brandon Regional Health Centre, Palliative Care Unit. Willa passed away peacefully with family by her side after a battle with cancer.

Willa was born and raised in Winnipeg on October 8, 1941 to parents Wilma and Harvey Yates. She attended St. James Collegiate and was a member of the Girl Scouts. She studied to become a registered nurse at the Winnipeg General Hospital. Then, became a clinical nurse educator at the Winnipeg General Hospital School of Nursing while serving with the Navy Reserves. Professionally, she worked as an emergency room nurse and supervisor at the Brandon General Hospital. Before completing her master’s degree in distance education at Athabasca University, in 1998, she was a practical nursing instructor, clinical coordinator, and eventually was assistant professor at the department of psychiatric unit at the Brandon Mental Health Centre.

Willa was the CEO of the Navy League Cadets in Brandon and was an alumni member of the Waves of Hope Dragonboat team.  Willa had a research paper which was published in the National Library of Medicine in 2003.

Willa enjoyed travelling the world by cruise ship, plane or driving cross country. She loved her pets, playing softball, sailing, cabin life at the lake, the Toronto Blue Jays, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, and skiing. She also enjoyed playing the ukulele, and reading spy novels and mysteries. Her favourite shows were Battle Bots, True Blood, Desperate Housewives, Game of Thrones, Outlander, and Downton Abbey.

Willa met Jack Kenley Fowles, who already had four children, and they married in 1968. They had two more children together, raising all six in Brandon, Manitoba.

Willa will be lovingly remembered by her children Margaret Ann (Randy) Lawrence, Holly Fowles, Tara Fowles, Tamasin (Randy) Cherniak, John (Tiphanie) Fowles, nine beautiful grandchildren, Janna (Alex), Madison (Dean), Julie (Brody), Josh (Amber) Kyle (Baylee), Kahlann, Leah, Ryenne, Linden, and eight great-grandchildren, Isaiah, Immanuel, Tahlia, Isaac, Nevada, Oaklin, Rowan, and Rayah. Also cherishing her memory is her brother Arnie (Jean) Yates, the Troniak family, the Rudy family and many other friends and extended family. 

Willa was predeceased by her husband Jack Kenley Fowles in 2015, son Brett Fowles, parents Wilma and Harvey Yates, step mother Dorothy Yates, mother-in-law Annie Fowles, and sister Lyla Troniak. 

A Celebration of Willa’s life will be held at the Eagle's Nest Bar and Grill, 3500 McDonald Ave., Brandon, MB on Monday, July 22, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.. Willa’s urn will be placed in the columbarium with her husband’s, Jack Kenley Fowles, at Rosewood Memorial Gardens.

Donations in memory of Willa may be made to the Brandon Regional Health Centre Foundation "Palliative Care", 150 McTavish Avenue East, Brandon, Manitoba, R7A 2B3.