ANNA LOUISE WORSFOLD (nee Johnson) better known to her family and friends as Kiki, will be sadly missed by all.
The story of her nickname, Kiki, has become a little blurry through the years but the tale goes that her brother Neil couldn’t say ‘sister’ and it came out as ‘Kiki’. Then again, perhaps it was because her sister, Ruth always kicked her…hmmm?
Kiki was born in Vernon and raised on the Johnson farm outside of Lumby, BC. She recalled that in 1939 her family had a crank phone, “we were three rings.” She loved to play ball and was an avid skier (she was one of the founding owners of Silver Star ski hill). Kiki was a dead-eye shot in her bird-hunting days and thoroughly enjoyed a good round of skeet.
She was a hard worker, working in the farms and orchards in the Okanagan Valley. In her youth, she also worked at the drugstore in Vernon and recalls this crazy skinny girl that would come in frequently, strip out of her heavy jacket, shoes and skirt then step on the pharmacist’s ‘very accurate’ scales….”even her skirt…just ridiculous.”
As a young girl of 13, she spent a school year in Barriere living with her Aunt Rose and Uncle Norman Newberry on East Lake road as the school needed another student or it would have to close. The following year, an additional student enrolled and she was back to Lumby.
After graduation Kiki attended Business/Accounting school in Vernon. Then a job bookkeeping at the Newberry mill brought her back to Barriere in the 60’s. In 1964 she started a long career at Gilbert Smith Forest Products Ltd. as bookkeeper and later as shipper where she certainly kept those truck drivers in toe. One day she was overheard to exclaim to a bully truck driver, “You don’t know me do you? I eat truck drivers for breakfast!”
In 1967 she met and married Jessie “Howard” Worsfold. They had a son, Benjamin Howard named after his father and 10 months later a daughter, Beatrice Louise named after Kiki. She often joked that they were her twins (44 days of the year they were the same age). As of late, her biggest pride and joy was sharing the newspaper articles on her granddaughters’ athletic accomplishments and bragging of their ambitions to be doctors.
Kiki loved to have fun and if she bated you, it was because she liked you. Once the new young doctor to town, Cornel attended her 80th birthday and she took him aside and said, “Tell that girlfriend of yours to watch out.”
“Why?” asked the doctor.
“Because when I get feeling better, I’ll be chasing after you.” she replied.
She was always going to win the big one – Publisher’s Clearing House or Reader’s Digest. One afternoon she remarked how she was certain that they were going to be delivering her big winnings as she overheard Catherine giving instructions over the phone to some stranger on how to get to the Pioneer Residence.
She had many addictions, some got her in trouble and others were her zest. Along with her penchant for being witty, she loved; above all her family, good music, the BC Lions and tearing up the town on her scooter.
Predeceased by her husband Jessie “Howard” Worsfold of Barriere, parents Gustafson and Sadie Johnson of Lumby, brothers Neil (Bernice) Johnson of Cranbrook, Charlie (Doreen) Johnson of Kamloops, sister Marjorie “Ruth” (Jack) Tantrum of Vernon and great niece Nina Johnson and great great niece Lily Girling.
Kiki is survived by her daughter Beatrice (Mark) Worsfold of Calgary and Son Benjamin (Wendy) Worsfold of Kamloops, grandchildren, Shayla, Taiysa, Brenna Worsfold. Cousins Ted Smith of Kamloops, Elaine Richardson of North Vancouver, Edie (Al) Marcoux of Vancouver, several nieces/nephews, great and great great nieces/nephew.
She will be sadly missed by the her “darling dotters” and the staff and patrons of Pioneer Residence as well as by so many more long time friends which gave her life meaning.
A celebration of Kiki’s life will be held on Thursday, August 11th at 3 pm at the Barriere & District Senior Centre. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Red Cross in Kiki’s name.
“WE LOVE YOU MOM”