Nan Kitson was born in Lethbridge, Alberta on July 6, 1914. Her husband Al predeceased her in 1999. She is survived by two sons Don (Adrienne) in California, and Gary of Victoria; her sister, Jean, of Calgary; three grandchildren, Jennifer of Calgary, Jason and Alvin; and four grand children all of Arizona. Nan received her elementary and high schooling in Stettler, Alberta after which she took up teaching, a profession which she followed for 30 years. In 1940, she married Al Kitson of Botha, Alberta. The couple took up residence in Calgary where their two sons were born. After their retirement 1975, they purchased a winter home in Sun City, Arizona where they spent their next 18 winter months. In 1980, they purchased a home in Victoria where Nan had still resided. The couple were very enthusiastic curlers and lawn bowlers. After retirement they spent much of their time volunteering for many worthy causes.
During her teaching career, much of Nan’s work centred around developing a curriculum for the Alberta Department of Education and the Calgary School board. She helped pioneer the library system in the elementary schools in Calgary and developed the course of studies for the kindergartens. When the couple discovered their older son was born totally deaf, Nan contributed to the development of a correspondence course in lip reading and speech, put together by Mrs Spencer Tracery. (The Tracy’s also had a deaf son.) This course was sent all over the world. The use of this program helped enable the couples’ deaf son to complete his elementary and high schooling in the Calgary regular school system before entering university in the U.S.
Nan had been a member of the United Church, Victoria Fairfield Senior Centre, the Alberta Retired Teachers Association, the Canadian Club and several benevolent societies in Victoria. Service will take place on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 10:00 AM in the Family Chapel at McCall Bros. located at Vancouver and Johnson Streets. Reverend Gail Miller officiating.
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