Phyllis Caroline Burton (Fenwick)

A Century of Love

Phyllis Caroline Burton (nee Fenwick) slipped away peacefully on February 4, 2026, with all five of her children by her side. Her last words were “I’m thinking of my lovely family”. As she had hoped, Mom made it to her 100th birthday and we are sure that she is now joyfully dancing across the heavens with Dad, who passed away too soon in 1990.

Born and raised in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Phyllis lived her 100 years to the fullest. In Moose Jaw, she attended Central High School and started her lifelong association with her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi. Early travels took her to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair with her family and to New York on a grand adventure with a girlfriend in 1944. After WWII, she met and married her husband, Bob, in Moose Jaw, where they welcomed their three daughters, Carol Lynn, Nancy and Robyn. Bob’s career with the CBC took the family to Winnipeg in 1957 where their two sons, Lee and Russell were born. Bob and Phyllis were active members of the Rossmere Golf and Country Club where they golfed, curled and danced at many social events. In 1975 the CBC took Bob, Phyllis and the boys back to Saskatchewan where Phyllis worked in the housewares department at Simpsons in Regina and continued to curl and golf. When Bob retired in 1982, he and Phyllis moved to Victoria where she joined a Victoria chapter of Beta Sigma Phi and the Prospect Lake Golf Club. Although she never had a driver’s license, Phyllis once took the wheel of a golf cart, with disastrous results – the family never let her drive the cart again.

Phyllis was an avid follower of figure skating, travelling around North America to six World Championships, seven Canadian Championships and ten Skate Canada events with her daughters and assorted nieces and friends. Their matching yellow sweaters made a swath of colour easy to see on TV. Between games, the gang drank their signature drink, “The Blade’ and saw sights in whatever city the event took them. One memorable World Championship was enjoyed on TV, sitting by the pool in Palm Springs, with a Blade in hand, where they were frightened by, but survived, the California earthquake of 2013. Other travels took Phyllis to Hawaii to celebrate she and Bob’s 25th wedding anniversary, trips to England to visit the English side of the Burton family, to Alaska on a cruise with Carol Lynn, to Cuba for her grandson Michael’s wedding and to Phoenix for granddaughter Christina’s wedding.

She was a prolific knitter – all her family members possess knitted expressions of her love in the form of baby blankets, sweaters, throws and dishcloths. She loved to play cards and games with her family, enjoyed dinners at The Keg – always ordering a Paralyzer cocktail – mildly surprising the waiters as she progressed through her 90s! Her eldest daughter, Carol Lynn, moved in with her in 2001 and became her closest companion, travelling partner, and in later years, her loving caregiver.

A grand party for Phyllis’s 100th birthday took place on January 17th, with family and friends coming from all over North America to celebrate with her. She was so happy to have her five children, six grandchildren, and five great grandchildren here for the party. This was truly her ‘celebration of life’ while she was still with us to see the outpouring of love from so many people whose lives she has touched in such a meaningful way.

As well as her husband, Bob, Phyllis was predeceased by her mother and father and her three brothers, Jim, George and Grant Fenwick, and her nephew, Wayne Fenwick.  She is survived by her five children, Carol Lynn, Nancy, Robyn (David), Lee (Toni) and Russ; her six grandchildren, Tracilee (Lauren), Christina (Chris), Michael (Christina), Tamara (Tom), Danny (Madison), and Sara (Liban); her five great grandsons, Zachary, Lucas, William, Joshua and Nabil; and many Fenwick and Burton nieces and nephews.

Condolences may be offered to the family below.

McCall Gardens
www.mccallgardens.com

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