Dwyla Beryl PARKS

TOOMATH, Dwyla Beryl Parks Passed away peacefully on the morning of August 27, 2005, being the morning of her 59th birthday at Toronto Grace Hospital, after a courageous but uncomplaining 2-year battle against cancer. Dwyla was the second youngest child of Orville and Ermel Parks of Ottawa, in which city she was awarded her Diploma to be a Registered Nurse from the Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1966. She subsequently moved to London, Ontario and was very active in patient nursing care and research at the now University Hospital of that city. She then moved to Toronto where she continued her nursing career both as a caregiver and in research, becoming head nurse at the Addiction Research Foundation of the Clark Institute. She married Ernest Hugh Toomath in August of 1977 and upon the birth of their second child, Bram, she elected to leave her nursing for a period to raise and educate Sarah Courtney and Bram, whom she taught to ski and to whom she passed on her great love of travel, particularly extended ski holidays, which gave her and her children a great deal of pleasure. Whilst in Toronto and raising her family she enrolled at the University of Toronto and obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Woodsworth College and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. This latter course she completed with sufficiently high honours that she was invited to become a member of the Sigma Theta Tau, International Honour Society of Nursing, Lambda Pi Chapter. She was a traditional hands-on nurse and enjoyed her caregiving role even more than her research work; she was tireless in her efforts and always found time for her patients and fellow workers. Dwyla was always ready to lend an extra hand or a timely piece of advice to younger nurses. She was loved and very much admired and respected by both her patients and fellow workers, who will miss her energy, kindness and cheerful smile. Dwyla brought to all she did a very positive outlook and boundless energy, which was demonstrated not only at the workplace but in her home. She was full of life and kept a good sense of humour to the end, giving support and good humour to her family, particularly her two children, in whom she was justly proud. At her request, Dwyla is being cremated and at the request of her husband there will be a High Mass said at St. Paul's Basilica of Toronto, located at 83 Power Street (Queen Street East & Power Street) 416-364-7588 on Wednesday, September 7, 2005 at 5:30 p.m. Thereafter Dwyla's remains will be taken to Ottawa to be interred with her parents and her three brothers who have predeceased her, Weldon, Dalton and Rodney. She is survived by her sisters, Margarit, Romelda and Lorraine of Ottawa, by Dolores and Karen of Florida and her brother, Basil of Saskatchewan. For further inquiries you may contact Betty Pujoll at 416-869-0900. Published in the Ottawa Citizen on 9/1/2005