Obituary of Colleen Knudtson

Colleen Knudtson a.k.a Marianna Perry, 63, of Calgary, Alberta has most decidedly left the building, passing peacefully on Thursday, November 27th after brief struggle with cancer. Colleen was born February 3rd, 1945 in Barrie, Ontario into the loving embrace of father Solan "Bud" Albert Richards and mother Ruth Richards (nee Hamilton), as well as siblings Joyce, Gaye, Beth, and Bruce. She married (and was later divorced from) Merril Knudtson, and bore two sons, Connell (Con) and Theodore (Ted). Studying at the University of Alberta and later the University of Calgary, Colleen earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in History with a baby on each hip. Throughout her all too brief life, Colleen experienced both great joy and terrible tragedy, successes and failures, love and loneliness, times of celebration, and periods of profound sorrow. She braved it all with a depth of faith, a fierce independence, and a level of courage that continues to inspire those fortunate enough to have known her. Colleen made friends easily, held strong opinions and beliefs, and actively pursued her dreams, from attending Seminary in Saskatoon, to studying with Coretta Scott King in Atlanta, to traveling to her ancestral homeland of Scotland, and much more. A memorial Service will be held at McINNIS & HOLLOWAY’S Chapel of the Bells (2720 Centre Street North) on Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 at 2:00 PM. For more information, please call: (403) 616-0357. In lieu of flowers, well-wishers are encouraged to call a long-lost friend and take them out for supper, or make a donation to a women’s’ support organization/charity of their choice.