She was the only child of Captain John Eric Woodhouse Oland of Halifax, NS and Denise Victoria Oland (nee Harris) of Victoria, BC. Mum grew up in many places including Victoria and Halifax, attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Vancouver, Dalhousie University in Halifax and married John M. McAvity of Saint John, NB on December 29, 1941, several weeks before Dad went overseas. While Dad was overseas in Italy and the low countries, Malcolm was born in 1942 in Montreal. Reunited in December 1945, Mum and Dad settled in Rothesay NB and welcomed to their family, Eric, born 1946, Frances, born 1948 and Catherine, born 1952. Relocating to Vancouver in 1952 from Rothesay and Kitchner/Waterloo, Mum and Dad remained in their adopted west coast home for the next 55 years building life long friendships and engaging in their community as active and caring volunteers. Their passion as volunteers was directed heavily towards the Canadian Arthritis and Rheumatism Society (CARS) to which Mum remained devoted for many years. Predeceased by her eldest son Malcolm in July 2001 and by her loving husband of 65 years in July 2006, Mum remained a strong and faithful icon of family for all her children: Malcolm (Patricia Gibson) of North Saanich, BC, Eric (Judith Maxwell) of Canmore Alberta, Frances of Vancouver, Catherine (John Kaye) of North Saanich and her cherished grand daughter Martha, of Canmore, Alberta. Mum was lovingly supported in her last several years of life by her many faithful friends as well as her caregivers: Rudi, Fatima, Helen, Tericita and Maria. Mum remained a woman of strong faith, humour and love and through the years was a wonderful source of inspiration, strength and comfort. Her love of flowers and music resulted in wonderful contributions of time and devotion to her church as a faithful and long serving member of the alter guild and the choir. A funeral mass will be held to celebrate the life of our mother on January 30, 2008 at Church of St. John the Apostle, 5457 Trafalger Street , Vancouver, BC at 2:00 PM with Father Mark Hagemoen officiating. Interment will follow at the Veterans Cemetery, Esquimalt BC (with Dad and near her father Eric) at a future date.