Barbara Gail Jeffrey Kun
On August 7, 2023, Gail left us to join her cowboy Steve in the pastures of the unknown. Her departure could not have been closer to her plan. It was quick and peaceful, and at her own home until the final hours.
Her strength and joy for celebration are the things we will remember her for. VP of Enthusiasm had her cheering about the “family feeling” at all holiday events and whenever we could gather.
Gail was a country girl, born and raised in Jasper Alberta. She met Steve in Jasper at the age of 19. They embarked on a life journey which lasted over 60 years. Two children, Jennifer and Randy (Jerene Sutherland) are left to carry the torch along with Jennifer’s two daughters Kyla Martin (Frank Belcourt) and Alyssa Belanger (Paul Belanger). The line goes further with four great grand children, Elodie, Emery, Ethan and Everly.
Gail was the matriarch of this crew and enjoyed all the family gatherings whether indoors or out.
Strong and brave are words we use to describe our matriarch. She was an equal partner in the ranch operation they set up in the Alberta foothills after Steve retired. Raising pinto horses and tending massive gardens filled the days as they marveled at the beauty of the Canadian Rockies around them.Gail also made room in her life to stay in touch with the mountaineering roots she got from her father Vern Jeffery, an icon in the Jasper history chronicles. Gail hiked anywhere and everywhere in the Rockies with friends and family, well into her 70’s. As recalled by her grandchildren, she would speak of encounters with wolves, bears and cougars as well as avalanche near misses as easily as she would report on her weekly bridge games. We will always remember, when things got tense on the trails, she would stop to re-apply her lipstick ‘to give her courage’, and the adventure would continue.
In her last few years, Gail resided in Wakefield, QC close to her family. Happy hour at her place was a ritual rarely missed by one to two of the family. These were key years of final bonding and a time for Gail to share history and stories with her family.  We are so grateful to have had such special times. 
Please raise a glass of your choice in Gail’s honor.