It was with deep regret that we learned Thursday of the passing of Mrs. Thalia Fischbach.
The 100-year old Morinville resident became a bit of a celebrity in the community over the past ten months as she simultaneously represented the community with whom she shared a birth year and the large number of seniors in this community who have so much to offer.
Mrs. Fischbach moved to Morinville from the Bon Accord area in 2010 and celebrated her 100th birthday at the end of May this year. We had the honour of being part of that centenary celebration as well as a couple others she participated in as a guest of honour. Whether it was participating in Morinville’s Family Day celebrations where she spent time holding Jayden Wood, Morinville’s Centennial Baby, or reflecting on the experiences of her life at the Legion’s Seniors Luncheon a couple months later, Mrs. Fischbach always had a word of wisdom, usually delivered with a wit sharper than any of the knives she used to cut the many cakes she was requested to cut this year.
Mrs. Fishbach died Oct. 5, and although our knowledge of her was limited to the casual relationship between media and the person being recognized, we were always impressed with her wit, with her wisdom, with her love of people, and particularly with her penchant for sticking her finger in the cake and having a little taste before everyone else. That latter action, we think, said as much about Morinville’s Centennial lady as any words could ever.
Our hopes are that any of us fortunate enough to see a century on this planet are able to understand, as Thalia seems to have fully grasped, that even at 100 we can all be a little cheeky and stick our fingers into the icing, be it cake or be it life itself.
