Obituary for
Eirwen Ingram Cleaver
Nan, as everyone called her, was born on March 19, 1924, to Ivy Ingram of Glamorgan, South Wales. She was Ivy’s firstborn child and was given the Welsh name of Eirwen, which means Snow White. Her once-jet black hair lightened early in life and she lived up to her name with her beautiful shiny white hair. Parents Rhys and Ivy Evans gave Nan three siblings: Mae, Jean, and Gwyn, all of whom she outlived.
Nan became a nurse in a residence for the mentally challenged at a young age. She loved her job and found she had an ability to reach people; to uplift them. Nan prided herself in being able to “get through” to her patients and felt rewarded by the help and care she was able to provide for them.
Nan has always enjoyed a bit of a song and dance and would often sing Welsh and wartime songs as she went about her day. She was part of a dance team that entertained the troops in England during the war. Nan married William Henry Cleaver on June 26, 1943. Their union lasted until Bill passed away, three days after their sixtieth anniversary. Shortly after Bill came home from the war, Nan gave birth to their one and only child. Carol was born in Wales. They moved to a heritage home called Foredrift Cottage in Allesley Village, Coventry, where they resided for over thirty years. Nan had a long and wonderful career caring for the elderly, running retirement residences. She was known for her bright, cheery manner. Always active, Nan took up dancing again and together with Bill won medals in Ballroom and Latin Dancing. She enjoyed writing and poetry. Some of her work at one time was published.
Nan’s love of travel was ignited when in 1977 Carol, and her husband, Gordon Stewart, moved to Hong Kong with their children Nicola and Richard. Two more children, Anna and Paul were born there. Nan loved to visit her overseas family frequently and extended her travels to several other South East Asian countries with Bill: The Montien Hotel in Bangkok and Raffles in Singapore were her favourite spots. They also enjoyed travelling all over Europe and down the west coast of the United States.
After Carol and Gordon moved to Vancouver with their four children, Nan and Bill, wanting to be close to their family, retired and moved from England to Sechelt. It was here, at their Porpoise Bay home, that Nan’s passion for gardening truly sprang to life. She created a spectacular English Garden, making it one of the most beautiful places to visit in the area. Nan loved her flowers, the birds, the wildlife, and their serene view. After Bill passed away in 2003, Nan moved to The Seastrand in West Vancouver where she continued to enjoy life on the water. Always fit and active, Nan walked the seawall daily and couldn’t resist continuing to feed the local birds. She was a regular at The Red Lion for fish and chips and at home pursued her hobbies of writing, painting, and glass-etching. She travelled to The Galapagos Islands and revelled in the experience of seeing Blue Boobies and other rare birds. She cruised to Alaska, Hawaii, and through the Panama Canal. At eighty she enjoyed a mother-daughter trip to Vegas with Carol.
Nan spent her last year of life at Amica with her loving daughter visiting her daily. She enjoyed many weekends at Carol and Gordon’s Bowen Island home and trips to Nicola and Jordan’s in Boundary Bay. She experienced great joy from the visits of her grandchildren with their spouses Alison, David, Sarah, and Jordan and especially her great-grandchildren: Chris, Callie, Grayson, Owen, Dash, and Hannah.
On March 1st, Nan passed away at Lions Gate Hospital with Carol by her side - just two weeks before her 94th birthday. She is remembered for her kind, cheery, caring personality; her cuteness and sweetness; her pretty face and snow-white hair; her feist and will power. Her fitness and agility - and the speed at which she tore through life to the very end. The one and only Nan Cleaver will be greatly missed by all.
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