Tena Cormier

We are deeply saddened to announce the death of Tena Cormier, aged 65, of Calgary.    

She was a good mother, a kind person who was loved by many and will be profoundly missed.

If you know my mom at all, you will know that she has been late for everything her entire life.  We often joked that Mom lived in her own time zone, lovingly referred to as “Tena Standard Time.” It didn’t matter what the event was; Mom was going to be late.  If you need Mom to pick you up or be somewhere, you need to do some quick math to factor in the time difference between the Tena Standard Time zone and the actual time zone.  Ironically enough, despite her struggles with time, she lived life in the fast lane! 

She arrived in Calgary about 25 years ago, and I don’t think the city has been the same; I am sure she left her mark.  Every year she would travel to Cape Breton at least once a year; some years were multiple trips.  And during most of those trips, she could be found at the customer service desk of Westjet or Air Canada, making her case about why the flight she had missed (due to her being late), was not her fault.  She is likely on a secret list of problematic customers at both airlines.  Rarely did she make a flight on time, but when she did, we celebrated! Justin and I had a lot of core memories and laughs and frustrations trying to get her to the flights on time. 

She had a great sense of humor and was known to say exactly what was on her mind. There was never a dull moment.  She was funny and often had quick comebacks and one-liners.  She will be remembered for teasing the ones she loved most.  Mom had a soft spot for all her nieces and nephews and loved them dearly.  She rooted for them in all their ventures. Her music playlist could also be described as questionable, and you never knew what Mom’s ringtone was going to be, but it would always be good for a laugh.

Mom was predeceased by her much-loved son, Justin Mills, her sister, Donna Cormier, her mother, Annie Mae Cormier, and several other relatives.  She is survived by me, her daughter Lisa Hardy (John), her brother Tom Cormier (Sherry), her sister Kim Cormier, her brother John Cormier, her father Mel Cormier (Mary), and many other family members. 

She was a lifelong animal rescuer.   She loved her cats Chase and Bane, your cats, random cats, stranger’s cats, and animals of all kinds. She never met an animal she didn’t like.

Mom had some incredible friends and some lifelong friendships.  She was lucky enough to have a few best friends that she loved, including Patsy Clarke, Yvonne Sinclair, sister Kim Cormier, Donna Polegatto, Jack Sakulich, and Karen DeBoeck.  These friendships meant the world to her.

We request no flowers.   If you would like to do something in memory of my mom, set your watches back to Tena Standard Time and show up late to something!  To the fine folks at Air Canada and Westjet, I am sure your customer services desks will be a little less colorful these days.

As difficult as it is to say goodbye to Mom, I know that Justin met her as she crossed over, and away they went.  They are together again.  And she is no longer grieving. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”  Mom is now comforted.

Cremation has taken place.  Visitation and Services will be at Jobes Funeral Home in Sydney Mines on November 29 from 1:00-3:00, and the funeral service will commence at 3:00.