Gwendolyn Irene Kitching (Nee Mulligan). On September 14, 2023 Gwen suffered a heart attack and passed away suddenly at Rosewood Residence in Winnipeg. She will be dearly missed by her four children: Karen (Brian) Webb, Shelley, Kevin (Trish) and Scott (Barb), five grandchildren: Nicole (Brad), Mitchell, Ian, Sydney and Brooklyn, and her brother and sister: Dennis Mulligan and Pat Blair. She was predeceased by her husband Lloyd, her parents Kenneth and Dorothy Mulligan and her brother Melvin.
Gwen was born in Winnipeg on November 6, 1937. She grew up on the family farm near Rosser Manitoba. First attending Rosser village school, she went on to graduate high school at United College in Winnipeg. After graduating, she headed to the Prairie Christian Training Centre in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, first to study but then staying on to work in the kitchen. It was there that she made many lifelong friends and met the man whom she would marry, Lloyd Kitching. They exchanged vows on October 29, 1959 at the Rosser United Church and set up home on a farm near Carman, MB.
Gwen will be remembered for her laugh and wonderful smile, for her beautiful singing voice and for her bun-making abilities (best buns on the prairies according to many!). She will also be remembered as a woman who was full of kindness and who cared for others; who welcomed so many people into her home and always tried to put others at ease.
Gwen’s spirit was that of a caregiver. She cared for her children, making sure they were fed and clothed and taken to whatever activity they needed to get to. She cared for the men on the farm, bringing meals, parts and looking after whatever else needed looking after. She cared for the elderly, working for 20 years as a Homecare worker in Carman. She also provided rides for aging friends and family to appointments, activities and entertainment events. She particularly loved taking carloads of people to Rainbow stage, somehow getting there on time even with Dad as a part of the group. She spent her later years caring for Dad as he aged and needed increasing amounts of care. She managed to keep Dad at home with her right until his passing, even though it took a toll on her own health. Her giving was selfless, not seeking of recognition. In fact her shyness had her often preferring to stay in the background.
Community involvement was also important to Gwen. Her love of singing saw her become an early member of the Sonatrice Singers. She was a long-standing member of the United Church choir. She was a soloist at countless weddings and funerals. She enjoyed bowling, aquacise and carpet bowling, largely because of the friends it allowed her to spend time with. She made sure her family was part of Carman’s Canada World Youth hosting committee, billeting youth from across Canada and the world. For her church community and other friends, her New Year’s eve parties were an institution unto themselves.
Gwen truly lived her Christian faith and was an amazing role model for how to welcome others and put them at ease; for stepping up when someone needed looking after; for putting others first. For that and so much more, we will forever be grateful to have shared our lives with you.
Funeral service will be held at Carman United Church on Saturday September 30th at 11:00 AM. The service will be followed by a lunch also at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Carman United Church, Box 1177, Carman, MB, R0G 0J0, or the Canadian Diabetes Association https://www.diabetes.ca/
Gwen was born in Winnipeg on November 6, 1937. She grew up on the family farm near Rosser Manitoba. First attending Rosser village school, she went on to graduate high school at United College in Winnipeg. After graduating, she headed to the Prairie Christian Training Centre in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan, first to study but then staying on to work in the kitchen. It was there that she made many lifelong friends and met the man whom she would marry, Lloyd Kitching. They exchanged vows on October 29, 1959 at the Rosser United Church and set up home on a farm near Carman, MB.
Gwen will be remembered for her laugh and wonderful smile, for her beautiful singing voice and for her bun-making abilities (best buns on the prairies according to many!). She will also be remembered as a woman who was full of kindness and who cared for others; who welcomed so many people into her home and always tried to put others at ease.
Gwen’s spirit was that of a caregiver. She cared for her children, making sure they were fed and clothed and taken to whatever activity they needed to get to. She cared for the men on the farm, bringing meals, parts and looking after whatever else needed looking after. She cared for the elderly, working for 20 years as a Homecare worker in Carman. She also provided rides for aging friends and family to appointments, activities and entertainment events. She particularly loved taking carloads of people to Rainbow stage, somehow getting there on time even with Dad as a part of the group. She spent her later years caring for Dad as he aged and needed increasing amounts of care. She managed to keep Dad at home with her right until his passing, even though it took a toll on her own health. Her giving was selfless, not seeking of recognition. In fact her shyness had her often preferring to stay in the background.
Community involvement was also important to Gwen. Her love of singing saw her become an early member of the Sonatrice Singers. She was a long-standing member of the United Church choir. She was a soloist at countless weddings and funerals. She enjoyed bowling, aquacise and carpet bowling, largely because of the friends it allowed her to spend time with. She made sure her family was part of Carman’s Canada World Youth hosting committee, billeting youth from across Canada and the world. For her church community and other friends, her New Year’s eve parties were an institution unto themselves.
Gwen truly lived her Christian faith and was an amazing role model for how to welcome others and put them at ease; for stepping up when someone needed looking after; for putting others first. For that and so much more, we will forever be grateful to have shared our lives with you.
Funeral service will be held at Carman United Church on Saturday September 30th at 11:00 AM. The service will be followed by a lunch also at the church.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations may be made to the Carman United Church, Box 1177, Carman, MB, R0G 0J0, or the Canadian Diabetes Association https://www.diabetes.ca/