Ann Chandler

ANN ALICIA ELIZABETH CHANDLER (nee Sudbury) (formerly Urichen) of Brandon, Manitoba went to be with her Lord on Wednesday, April 17, 2019 at Assiniboine Centre at the age of 86 years.  Ann was born at Outwood, Yorkshire, England to John Pullon Sudbury and Barbara Elliot, the eldest of a family of three.  Her father died when she was only fourteen, while her mother suffered mental health problems and was soon unable to care for the children.  For three years they lived with relatives, and then in 1953, at age twenty, Ann, her sister Jean and brother John made the voyage to Canada and Manitoba upon invitation from her Dad’s brothers, Will and Bert Sudbury and their families.

Ann married Gordon Chandler in 1956, and they raised a family of two girls and two boys.  Gordon and Ann farmed together at Harrowby and in the Brightside District until 1976, when they sold the farm and moved into town to finish raising their family, after which they built their retirement home on the acreage.  Ann worked as secretary to the Principal of the high school for many years while on the farm, and continued to do so until a year after Gordon’s untimely death in 1989.  Gordon and Ann were charter members of the Russell Alliance Church, and were very active in the Church, where Gordon was Treasurer and Ann served as a Deaconess.  After being introduced to boating and fishing by Laurier and Doris and Lawrence and Bernice, they loved to spend time in their Lund boat fishing, just cruising or pulling the kids on water-skis.  Of course, camping became a part of their lives, and they made many trips in their motorhome, usually heading out west to John and Doreen’s at Salmon Arm, and sometimes accompanied by Lorna and Sterling, which was always a riot!  In 1977, Ann and Gordon took up square dancing and spent many happy hours that way.  They welcomed their first granddaughters in 1983 and took much joy in spending time with them.

After Gordon’s death, Ann continued to square dance and became dancing partner to John Urichen, whom she married in 1992.  They soon welcomed a grandson and later four more grandchildren whom they adored.  They spent summers in Russell and winters at Towerpoint in Mesa, Arizona, where Ann renewed her love of tennis and John learned to play.  Ann was a very good competitive player, and taught others to play also.  In 2006, they moved to Brandon, but continued to winter in Arizona until 2014, when they sold their Arizona home, and moved into assisted living. John passed away in early 2015.  During their years together, Ann and John enjoyed travelling and experienced many cultures on trips to Europe, Australia and New Zealand, the Scandinavian countries and Alaska, also cruising both the eastern and western Mediterranean, the Caribbean and the Panama Canal.  After John’s death, even though she was lonely, Ann continued to make the best of her situation, participating in activities and making friends at Victoria Landing, even as her health deteriorated due to Parkinson’s.  She was diagnosed with a rare form of skin cancer in mid-February, 2019 and went to be with her Lord on April 17, 2019.

Ann was predeceased by her parents John and Barbara Sudbury, her first husband Gordon Chandler, her second husband John Urichen, her brother John Sudbury, her brothers-in-law Wes Ruddick and Kurt Zimmer.  She is survived by her children Janice (Les) Dewar, Lorna Gemmill, Robert (Candace) Chandler and John (Jane) Chandler; grandchildren Jocelyn (Matt) Lehotsky, Jacqueline Dewar, Chandler and Brittney Gemmill, Troy Chandler and Austin and Amy Chandler; great-grandchildren Heidi and Jeremy Lehotsky; sister Jean (Keith) Kline, sister-in-law Doreen (Jim) Anderson (formerly Sudbury), sisters-in-law Margaret Ruddick and Loretta Zimmer and brother-in law Lawrence (Lynn) Chandler; as well as many nieces and nephews.