Obituary for Tami Mia Schirlie
Tami Mia (Jakobson) Schirlie
October 14, 1965 - March 18, 2023
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Tami Mia (Jakobson) Schirlie on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Tami, a true viking spirit, was called to Valhalla far to soon but is now reunited with her beloved parents Brian and Vivienne (Magnusson) Jakobson, her cherished aunts Grace (Magnusson) Kilgour and Marge (Magnusson) Alexander, her uncle Art Kilgour, her uncle Steini Jakobson, her aunt Lebeau (James) Jakobson, her sister-in-law Loretta (Schirlie) Lux, and her uncle Ralph “Red” Magnusson with whom she shared a kindred spirit and the mischievous twinkle in her eye.
She leaves in grief her precious soulmate Gord, her husband with which she recently celebrated 35 years of marriage and 38 years of memories this past January 23, 2023. Fittingly, on Saturday, their last interaction with each other was an exchange of “I Love You’s” along with a shared hug and a sweet kiss.
Also left to mourn are her sister Tara Jakobson (Dale Schreyer), aunt Connie (Benediktsson) Magnusson, step mother Susie Erickson, special brother-in-law Ron Schirlie, sister-in-law Sue Nicholson, brother-in-law Gerry Lux, nephews Matt (Carisa), Trevor (Julie), cousins Valerie (Rob), JoAnn (Adrian), Marilyn (Jeff), Laurel ( Melvin), Debbie (Merle), Diane, Campbell, Cary, Brent, and of course the little ones that brought great pleasure to her life, her grand nieces and nephew, Norah, Scarlett, Ivy, William, and Hannah.
Special tears are being shed by Tami’s many, many, many friends, and acquaintances that she touched throughout her life and especially by her Monday night golf chicks with whom she was very close.
Although Tami was born in Winnipeg on October 14, 1965, and lived there her whole life, she considered Gimli her second home as that is where her ancestral Icelandic roots drew her and where she spent every summer of her childhood. Identifying as a proud Icelander, she served that community with her whole heart, volunteering for the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba “selling programs since I was 5”. She was extremely proud of being the only 3rd generation Icelandic Festival President and 3rd generation Fjallkona. She was also a member of the IODE during the past many years. Tami had the opportunity to travel to Iceland as a child in 1977 and met many ancestors. She returned again in 2006 and made many new Icelandic friends and experienced some of the sights as an adult. She had planned to make one more trip in her retirement years to meet in person with new friends and family that she was cultivating relationships with over social media. Cousin Hannes Karlsson being on the top of her list. Sadly, they will have to meet in Valhalla.
Tami held education as a high priority and was always in pursuit of a further goal. She graduated high school at River East Collegiate and continued her studies at the University of Manitoba where she earned a Bachelor of Human Ecology majoring in Foods and Nutrition. After working as a food service supervisor at Saint Boniface Hospital for a few years, Tami decided it wasn’t going where she liked so she applied the credits she could from her degree, signed up for night classes, burned the candle at both ends for a few years and completed her Certification in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management and started her second career. She spent some time at Western Canada Lottery Corporation before settling into her career at the City of Winnipeg in the Material Management Division. She reached her “magic 80 retirement” and submitted her intentions to retire on the Tuesday before her passing. She was “looking forward to my first free summer since I was 15” but unfortunately the world had other plans for her.
While working at the City of Winnipeg, Tami signed up for “some karate classes at lunch to help stay in shape”. This turned into a 15 year drive to achieve, and under the training of her friend and Sensei Brenda Dupuis Smith, ISKF Yodan (4th Dan), and Master Yutaka Yaguchi, ISKF Kudan (9th Dan), she attained the level of ISKF Nidan (2nd Dan) in Shotokan Karate.
Throughout her life Tami enjoyed baseball, curling, travel, fishing, swimming, collecting lucky stones, gardening, and her many pets whether tame or wild, hers or borrowed. Her recent passions were cottage life, reading, water colour painting, and golf. She loved cooking, hated cleaning, and had big plans to write a children’s book featuring her giant collection of stuffed animals “illustrated in my water colour paintings and my sketches” …… sadly “The Adventures of Tamster the Hamster” ended before
they began.
An extremely special person, Tami will be missed by many.
We will be celebrating Tami on Friday, June 23, 2023, at 1:00pm at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg. Cremation has taken place and a private gathering for placing her ashes to rest will take place at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, or a charity of your choice.
October 14, 1965 - March 18, 2023
It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden and unexpected passing of Tami Mia (Jakobson) Schirlie on Saturday, March 18, 2023. Tami, a true viking spirit, was called to Valhalla far to soon but is now reunited with her beloved parents Brian and Vivienne (Magnusson) Jakobson, her cherished aunts Grace (Magnusson) Kilgour and Marge (Magnusson) Alexander, her uncle Art Kilgour, her uncle Steini Jakobson, her aunt Lebeau (James) Jakobson, her sister-in-law Loretta (Schirlie) Lux, and her uncle Ralph “Red” Magnusson with whom she shared a kindred spirit and the mischievous twinkle in her eye.
She leaves in grief her precious soulmate Gord, her husband with which she recently celebrated 35 years of marriage and 38 years of memories this past January 23, 2023. Fittingly, on Saturday, their last interaction with each other was an exchange of “I Love You’s” along with a shared hug and a sweet kiss.
Also left to mourn are her sister Tara Jakobson (Dale Schreyer), aunt Connie (Benediktsson) Magnusson, step mother Susie Erickson, special brother-in-law Ron Schirlie, sister-in-law Sue Nicholson, brother-in-law Gerry Lux, nephews Matt (Carisa), Trevor (Julie), cousins Valerie (Rob), JoAnn (Adrian), Marilyn (Jeff), Laurel ( Melvin), Debbie (Merle), Diane, Campbell, Cary, Brent, and of course the little ones that brought great pleasure to her life, her grand nieces and nephew, Norah, Scarlett, Ivy, William, and Hannah.
Special tears are being shed by Tami’s many, many, many friends, and acquaintances that she touched throughout her life and especially by her Monday night golf chicks with whom she was very close.
Although Tami was born in Winnipeg on October 14, 1965, and lived there her whole life, she considered Gimli her second home as that is where her ancestral Icelandic roots drew her and where she spent every summer of her childhood. Identifying as a proud Icelander, she served that community with her whole heart, volunteering for the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba “selling programs since I was 5”. She was extremely proud of being the only 3rd generation Icelandic Festival President and 3rd generation Fjallkona. She was also a member of the IODE during the past many years. Tami had the opportunity to travel to Iceland as a child in 1977 and met many ancestors. She returned again in 2006 and made many new Icelandic friends and experienced some of the sights as an adult. She had planned to make one more trip in her retirement years to meet in person with new friends and family that she was cultivating relationships with over social media. Cousin Hannes Karlsson being on the top of her list. Sadly, they will have to meet in Valhalla.
Tami held education as a high priority and was always in pursuit of a further goal. She graduated high school at River East Collegiate and continued her studies at the University of Manitoba where she earned a Bachelor of Human Ecology majoring in Foods and Nutrition. After working as a food service supervisor at Saint Boniface Hospital for a few years, Tami decided it wasn’t going where she liked so she applied the credits she could from her degree, signed up for night classes, burned the candle at both ends for a few years and completed her Certification in Purchasing and Supply Chain Management and started her second career. She spent some time at Western Canada Lottery Corporation before settling into her career at the City of Winnipeg in the Material Management Division. She reached her “magic 80 retirement” and submitted her intentions to retire on the Tuesday before her passing. She was “looking forward to my first free summer since I was 15” but unfortunately the world had other plans for her.
While working at the City of Winnipeg, Tami signed up for “some karate classes at lunch to help stay in shape”. This turned into a 15 year drive to achieve, and under the training of her friend and Sensei Brenda Dupuis Smith, ISKF Yodan (4th Dan), and Master Yutaka Yaguchi, ISKF Kudan (9th Dan), she attained the level of ISKF Nidan (2nd Dan) in Shotokan Karate.
Throughout her life Tami enjoyed baseball, curling, travel, fishing, swimming, collecting lucky stones, gardening, and her many pets whether tame or wild, hers or borrowed. Her recent passions were cottage life, reading, water colour painting, and golf. She loved cooking, hated cleaning, and had big plans to write a children’s book featuring her giant collection of stuffed animals “illustrated in my water colour paintings and my sketches” …… sadly “The Adventures of Tamster the Hamster” ended before
they began.
An extremely special person, Tami will be missed by many.
We will be celebrating Tami on Friday, June 23, 2023, at 1:00pm at Neil Bardal Funeral Centre, 3030 Notre Dame Avenue in Winnipeg. Cremation has taken place and a private gathering for placing her ashes to rest will take place at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her name to the Icelandic Festival of Manitoba, or a charity of your choice.