THE ADVOCATE 581
VOL. 80 PART 4 JULY 2022
find unique artisans’ shops. They enjoyed getting away with Deep Cove
yacht club friends to the club’s outstation on Indian Arm.
To Maris, everyone she liked was “kiddo”, and she liked almost everyone
she met. Maris gathered family and friends from all walks of life. She always
had time to listen to and understand the concerns of anyone who asked. She
drew people to her and fostered relationships, even between those who had
historical disagreements. She knew what to say and do naturally and
unhesitatingly, giving unconditional love and support.
She loved CBC radio and books, and collected and sometimes read from
the many newspapers to which she subscribed. She was known for her classic
black and white outfits, many strings of pearls and colourful large jewellery.
She and Roy acquired numerous beautiful pieces of Indigenous art,
often through charity auctions for the many community organizations they
loved to support.
Maris often said, “My house is your house”, and she meant it. She hosted
exuberant mega-dinners, expanding the dining table with plywood overlays
to accommodate whoever might arrive with an appetite for good food, excellent
wine and spirited conversation. If a small group was expected for an
intimate dinner, she would insist that enough food and drink be prepared to
feed a battalion. Whether at home or on Aloha, guests were expected to do
nothing but relax, eat and drink. She always appreciated it when guests
arrived with a hostess gift in a bottle. She liked good wine but admitted she
was not a serious student of the grape, often remarking she paid more attention
to volume over vintage.
Christmas, Easter and Halloween were major events, with Roy’s yard
decorations so extensive that people came from afar just to behold them.
Maris made every birthday or other important family milestone memorable,
with elaborate and detailed attention and her insistence that everyone
have as much fun as possible.
Maris’s judicial career and eventually her life were shortened when she
contracted Parkinson’s disease. Although she continued to work for some
time, eventually the symptoms became so pronounced that she stopped sitting
as a judge in late 2014.
Although the disease’s progression limited her ability to participate in the
many activities she loved, it did not diminish her positive outlook or enthusiasm
for life and her time with family and friends. By early 2020, Maris
went into residential care, and later Roy joined her. His presence was even
more important to her when the COVID-19 pandemic curtailed the ability
of family and friends to spend time with her. She displayed a remarkable
graciousness in the face of her illness, and was always appreciative of the
care she received from the staff. She soldiered on and never wavered in her