Obituary of Gail Martinook
Gail Louise Martinook
Gail Louise Martinook passed away peacefully at the Brandon Assiniboine Centre, Palliative Care unit, with her loving husband, Richard (Dick), at her side. Gail's hard fought struggle with Alzheimer’s ended on October 20, 2024 at the age of 80 years. Gail was born on March 2, 1944 to her parents, William and Ada Bayne, at Brandon General Hospital. She spent her early years moving from various homes as her father was in the Air Force. From a trailer in Rivers to the "H" huts in Brandon, to a war time home on 21st Street, to a new house on Applewood Bay, taking her doll collection with her. After secondary school, Gail attended Brandon Collegiate and St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Academy. Dick met Gail at a dance in Souris, Manitoba and after a year of dating they were married at the Knox United Church in Brandon on July 15, 1967. Her working career started at Breslauer and Warren Jewellers where she obtained her desire for "shiny things." After trading a pay-cheque for jewellery, Gail decided to move on to the banking industry hoping to finally bring home a pay-cheque. That career seemed to suit her and her remaining working life was with The Bank of Nova Scotia and finally with Canada Trust when she retired as Assistant Manager/Administration. Gail loved her career at Canada Trust earning the respect of both workmates and customers alike due to her dedication to her job. They were a close knit group who worked hard and of course partied hard too. One skill she honed to a sharp point was that of shopping. Dick thought that Gail knew the first name of pretty much every salesperson in Brandon. Her shopping was legendary. She developed a very close bond with several workmates who gave her great comfort as she started to struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. Gail retired from Canada Trust at the end of March 2000 when her husband, Dick, retired from Manitoba Hydro. That summer and for many after they spent at their cottage at Clear Lake where they made many new friends. Gail and Dick loved to travel and spent many days in Hawaii, both coasts of Mexico, Cuba, and a river cruise from Budapest to Prague. Having purchased a 5th wheel travel trailer, they toured many parts of the USA, many local campgrounds and made a yearly winter trip as "Snowbirds" to Lake Havasu, Arizona. Meeting another new set of friends in Arizona, Dick and Gail quickly settled in to the Snowbird life and formed a close bond to many friends from the USA. The "Happy Hours" were legendary and those days in Havasu are special memories. Gail leaves to mourn her husband Dick, sister-in-law Marilyn and her husband Wayne Wells of Dauphin, brother-in-law Bill of Onanole, brother Barrie and his wife Andrea of Winnipeg, as well as numerous nephews, nieces and twin grand-nieces. Gail will be laid to rest at a private interment in the Brandon Cemetery on Tuesday, October 29th with the family attending. A Celebration of Life will take place from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Backyard on Aberdeen, 1624-13th Street, Brandon.
Those wishing may make a donation in memory of Gail to the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba, 457-9th Street, Brandon, MB, R7A 1K2.
