Memories & Celebrations of Life: 

Obituary - Patricia Gail (Hannah) Forbes

December 11, 1940 - December 12, 2017

On December 12, 2017, after a brief struggle with cancer and a day following her 77th birthday, Patricia Gail Forbes passed away. At her bedside when she went to finally be reunited with her beloved “Frankie”, her sons Steven (Angela) and Robert are left to mourn. Also left behind to grieve Gail’s passing are her sisters Beverly Nichol (Jack) and Donna Logan and her treasured grandchildren Joshua, Benjamin, Alexa and Jayden.

Patricia Gail was born in Winnipeg, MB on December 11, 1940 to Alexander and Mae Hannah. Gail’s early years were spent in Thunder Bay/Port Arthur and she had fond memories of growing up there and many friendships that she valued for her entire life. The CN brought the Hannah’s to Sioux Lookout in 1954. Gail attended elementary school and QEDHS until heading off to Thunder Bay to follow Donna into nursing, obtaining her RNA. She moved back to Sioux and worked at both the General & Zone Hospital. In 1966, she married the love of her life Frank, a Saskatchewan lad who was stationed at the Sam Lake Radar Base. After stints in Saskatchewan and Alberta, the lure of Pelican Lake brought Gail full circle and a move back to Sioux Lookout occurred in 1985. The couple bought the Trapper’s Shack and Gail began ‘slingin’ pizza in between working shifts back at the Zone, this time as full RN. Having only completed Grade 10, one of mom’s greatest moments was going back to school in Saskatchewan and obtaining her nursing degree. We were all extremely proud of her for achieving this accomplishment. She very much enjoyed going back to her old stomping grounds at the Zone, patrolling B Ward and looking after what she fondly referred to as “my people”. One of her greatest disappointments in life was having to retire from nursing prematurely in 1992, because her rheumatoid arthritis got too bad for her to be able 

to continue.

Mom & Dad had returned to Sioux many times for vacation while living on the prairies and the goal was to always somehow own their own tourism related business. They took a long hard look at purchasing Pine Cliff Lodge (Big Sandy Camp) on Highway 72, but ultimately decided the distance from town was too great an obstacle to overcome when raising two young boys.  But the opportunity to enter the tourism business came again in 1989 and the couple dove in head first, purchasing Sioux Lookout Floating Lodges. The couple worked diligently to build the business up and their legacy continues today under its current owners, son Steven and his wife Angela.

Gail was funny and feisty and exceedingly generous….which is likely why she was dearly loved by all those who knew her. She had a rough go of it after Frank passed 12 years ago. The last 18 months were not easy on her, but she rarely complained. The rheumatoid arthritis she dealt with for decades made life more difficult than it needed to be. While this is a trying time for those left behind who knew and loved her greatly, Gail would want you to know and be comforted by the fact that she told us all many times she was at peace with what awaited her. Ultimately what happened ended her suffering and while difficult for those of us left behind. It should be considered a blessing.

In keeping with Gail’s wishes, there will be no funeral service. Cremation has taken place, and her and Dad will be interred together at Northway Cemetery later this summer. If friends so desire, donations may be made to the Material Girls Quilt Guild through the Sioux Lookout Funeral Home, Box 1449, Sioux Lookout Ontario P8T 1B9.