Kyra
Emo (nee Defries)
deactivated
Kyra was born in Toronto on September 17, 1930, and spent most of her life in Montreal. She later moved to Victoria, B.C. in 2010 to be closer to her family. Kyra was predeceased by her beloved husband Wallace Brooks Emo who died in a tragic plane crash in the interior of B.C. in 1965.
Kyra studied geology at McGill University and while obtaining her BSc in '53, she was a member of the Mcgill Outing Club, sang with the Merry Martlets and served as vice president of the Monteregian Geological Society. An avid skier, she was involved with the Canadian Ski Patrol and worked enthusiastically as a ski instructor.
Kyra worked at McGill University for over two decades in a variety of administrative roles and rose to the position of Assistant to the Vice-Principal. She worked tirelessly for the McGill Book Fair and was awarded the McGill Alumni Association Distinguished Service Award in 1991.
Along the way, she became a great lover of bird watching and was actively involved in Bird Protection Quebec, serving as secretary, and leading Birdwalks in Westmount.
She is survived by her three daughters; Carolyn Emo, Didi (Diane) Henderson, and Gail Emo of Castle Douglas, Scotland, along with her grandchildren Leah, David, & Kelly Henderson, Rae, David, & Clare Gillese, and great-grandson Theodore Wallace Henderson.
We welcome hearing from you, and any memories or photos you would like to share with our family & friends.
Donations in Kyra's Memory may be made to the Canadian Ski Patrol or Bird Protection Quebec.
“She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language. And birds fluttered around her, writing “yes” in the sky.”
― Monique Duval
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