November 14, 1920 - May 30, 2019
Iola Grace Bulcock (nee Matheson) was born on November 14, 1920 in North Vancouver BC. As a youngster, Iola embraced the outdoors and her family enjoyed hiking, camping and exploring. As a teen, Iola loved basketball, horseback riding and reading Tennyson's poetry. In her Lord Byng High school yearbook, she described herself as such,
"If you want to know someone discreet,
Iola's the girl you should meet.
Her calm quiet manner
She wears like a banner,
Enshroudering her head to her feet."
After graduation, Iola pursued a career in nursing and worked at Essondale Hospital in the 1940's. She then took a nursing post at Fairbridge Farms in Duncan, where she would meet the love of her life, Jack Bulcock. It was upon returning from WWII, that Jack would meet Iola by chance in his mother's kitchen, and they quickly fell in love and married in 1947. They raised 4 children-Susan, Betty, John and Rosemary. Iola and Jack also loved the outdoors and spent many weekends camping and fishing with their young family. The family lived in the 40 Houses where they built lasting friendships with other families and would do the same after Jack constructed one of the first houses on Piercy Avenue. This is the house were 9 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren would play in the apple tree, eat concord grapes, build things in Grampa's workshop, play dress up, eat Gramma's lemon curd and sugared orange rinds, and sleep over on rust coloured velvet sofas. Their home was a place any family or visitor was welcome to rest his head, and they hosted many family dinners, birthday parties, and celebrations over the 60+ years they lived there.
Being married for over 70 years, Iola and Jack were best friends and soul mates. They went everywhere together and loved to eat at Plates and Whitespot where they were welcomed like family. They also loved to go to the casino and of the two, Iola was the lucky one. Once she tasked Jack to man her machine so she could visit the restroom, but after being locked in the stall for a half hour, she was more concerned that he would get bored, feed the machine, and hit her well deserved jackpot.
After Jack passed away last July, Iola was alone for the first time in almost 72 years, she missed her Jack. With so many family and friends visiting her at the Views, it just wasn't the same without him. When she told us she could hear him whistling for her, she knew it was time to find him on the path and carry on again, together.
Iola was an intelligent, resourceful, and respected woman. She was generous and fair and went out of her way to make sure everyone was looked after. She was a hardworking nurse, wife and mother. As a Gramma she had all the time in the world to talk to you on the phone from 10pm-2am, gently making suggestions and being supportive, no matter what. She was an awesome Great Gramma, making sure every kid felt loved and included. Her family was her greatest accomplishment and the love and understanding she showed us is evident in each of us. It is with deep sadness that she is no longer with our family but we know that she and Jack are sitting side by side, laughing and talking like they did for 72 years.
Many thanks to the wonderful staff at the Views for their care and compassion. No funeral at Iola's request.