Obituary of Ella Gilks

Ella Gilks passed peacefully in her sleep at the Chateau Champlain on October 24, 2019.

Ella Mae Gilks (nee Weaver) was born in Coal Creek, NB, the eldest daughter in a family of 5. She is survived by Donald Weaver (Mary), Everett Weaver (Imelda), Sylvia Weaver-Anderson (Marshall), and predeceased by David Weaver (Joan), two infant brothers Russell and Keith, and her parents, Robert Weaver and Dorothy Price. Ella married in 1961 to Ashley Gilks and had two daughters, Valerie and Jennifer (Randi Gilmer). She is survived by 5 grandchildren: Emma Lloyd (Sergei), Mary Lister (Mark), Connor dosSantos (Cassie), Kyle dosSantos, and Brennan dosSantos; and 5 great-grandchildren: Chase, Camilla and Callie dosSantos, and Theo and Fiona Lister.

She graduated Teacher’s College in Saint John in 1957, and had a long teaching career that took her to various schools in Quebec, Ontario, England and Bermuda. In addition to teaching, Ella had a successful real estate career in Ontario, studied at the University of Waterloo where she achieved her Bachelor’s of Arts with a major in Psychology, and pursued advanced studies at the Master’s level in the field of psychology. Throughout her teaching career, Ella also obtained certificates in special education and spent numerous years enriching the lives of her students.

Ella was a keen artisan and always had an appreciation for beautiful things. She was a talented painter of watercolours and acrylics, and she created many fine stained glass pieces and original silver jewelry. She was an accomplished cook who loved to entertain and share her fabulous dishes with friends and family.  She enjoyed travelling, visiting new places, experiencing new cultures, and had a keen interest in gardening and interior design. She was a lifelong supporter of the arts and shared that passion with her children and grandchildren. Ella was active in her church, St. Mary and St. Bartholomew’s, where she participated in numerous fellowship activities over the years and enjoyed the company of the like-minded people she encountered there. 

She will be sorely missed. Her absence leaves a gaping hole in the lives of those who knew her and loved her.  We take comfort in knowing that she lived a full, rich life, until passing peacefully into the arms of a loving God.

Please join us for a celebration of remembrance on Friday, November 1^st, 2019 at 11:00am at St. Mary and St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church, 646 Westmorland Road, Saint John. Light refreshments in the hall after the service. We look forward to meeting all of you and hearing any memories or stories you wish to share.

Private interment ceremony for family and close friends at Ocean View Memorial Gardens, 715 Latimore Lake Road, Saint John at 2:15 p.m.