Wanda May Tallio
April 22, 1946 – September 8, 2012
Wanda May Tallio was born in Bella Coola to Clayton and Cora Mack on April 22, 1946. Wanda has two sisters, Eliza and Doris, and one brother Clayton Jr. (Dusty).
Wanda was very young when she started working; she was a Fisheries Researchers, Nurse’s Aide, tree planter, and janitor for the Band and the Cedar Inn. She even went to California for three months to nanny for a big-time lawyer named Alten Myrvold.
Wanda married Archie Tallio on October 25, 1968 and they had Candy, Rachael, Kenneth and Maxine. Her children, along with her grandchildren, were her pride and joy. Raising her children came first, they meant the world to her and were the most important thing in her life.
Wanda had many, many friends all over who were just as important to her as her children. Her closest friends were Geraldine Morton, Cecilia (Sis) Mack, Selena Nappie, Merle Tallio, Karen Anderson and Lady Di (Dianne) George. Her favourite thing to do with her friends was to go mushroom picking and she looked forward to it every year.
In 2005 Wanda moved to Williams Lake to be closer to her children. She liked playing bingo with her ‘bingo buddy’ Karen but she loved to play the lot machines in the casino; she said it was such a rush!
In September 2010, Wanda was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She began treatments in Kelowna in January 2011, so she traveled back and forth. The more treatments she got, the more sick and weak she became from the side effects. It was in April of this year that Wanda decided to stop the chemotherapy so that she could spend quality time with her children and grandchildren.
The cancer was aggressive and spread fast, these last few months were challenging but she always remained the same caring and loving person. It was hard to let her go, especially for her grandchildren, but now she is no longer suffering and she’s with her parents, daughter, and neice.
Until we meet again…rest in sweet heavenly peace mom, grandma, sister, auntie, and very special friend.