Mary Karen Gosselink Obituary - Kitchener, Ontario

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In Memory of

Mary Karen
Gosselink (Smith)

1938 - 2019

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Henry Walser Funeral Home Ltd.
507 Frederick St.
Kitchener, Ontario
CANADA
N2B 2A5

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Obituary for Mary Karen Gosselink (Smith)

Mary Karen Gosselink (nee Smith) of Waterloo died peacefully with her family gathered around her Thursday morning 17 October 2019. Beloved wife of Bob for 59 years, loving mother of Dirk (Patti), Scott (Daniela) and Ken (Denise) and four granddaughters --Aja (Justin), Mya, Marina and Chloe. She was born in Kansas on 22 April 1938. The mentoring of her high school science teacher led her to pursue occupational therapy at the University of Kansas, where she met her husband. After working for several years with cerebral palsied children in Denver, she and Bob moved to Canada with a new baby. After ten years of full time motherhood, Mary Karen began the occupational therapy program in Waterloo Region Home Care where she served for twenty years. She traveled with her family to England and France for Bob’s sabbaticals and taught for a year in China, giving her an appetite for further travel during retirement. She served on the Boards of the Fairview and Parkwood Mennonite Homes and the Independent Living Centre, which presented her with the Distinguished Volunteer Award in 2005. Mary Karen loved working with fabric; she sewed her own clothes from an early age and later learned to spin and weave. She belonged to the Waterloo County Quilters' Guild and earlier to the Weavers' and Spinners' Guild. As an enthusiastic gardener, she transformed the places she lived into beautiful retreats for birds and pollinators. Mary Karen and her family greatly appreciate the love and support offered by her many friends during her illness. In keeping with her long held belief in reduce/reuse/recycle, Mary Karen has donated her body to university medical research. Visitation will be Friday 25 October from 6-9 PM at Henry Walser Funeral Home (507 Frederick Street Kitchener). Memorial service will be at Rockway Mennonite Church (accessible), (47 Onward Ave. Kitchener) on Saturday 26 October at 2 PM with Pastor Scott Brubaker-Zehr officiating. As expressions of sympathy, memorial donations may be made to the Independent Living Centre or Mennonite Disaster Service; and can be arranged with the funeral home. Please visit www.henrywalser.com to view Mary Karen's memorial.

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Obituary for Mary Karen Gosselink (Smith)