Gladys Winnefred Postans

Gladys Winnefred Postans (Fulton) passed away on Friday, May 22, 2020 after a brief stay in St. Joseph’s Hospital. Gladys was born in Fort William on November 7, 1932 to Ellen (Nellie) and John Fulton. Gladys grew up in Slate River, the oldest of 5 siblings. She attended Selkirk High School and then worked in the office at Northland Machinery. Gladys married Richard Joseph Postans in 1952. Last October, Gladys and Richard celebrated 67 years of marriage.

Gladys is survived by her children; Nancy Nix (Chester), Garth (Susan) Postans, and grandchildren; Dr. Eli (Sarah) Nix, Joshua Nix (Trina Heasman), Leah Nix (Yoan Soilen), Noah Nix, Ethan Postans (Mandy Mellerup), and Keenan Postans (Shauna McMullin). Gladys is also survived by 3 great-grandchildren: Hannah, Oscar and Finneus Nix. Gladys is also survived by sister Dorothy (Elwood) Walberg, sisters-in-law Violet Fulton and Margaret Postans, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Gladys was predeceased by her husband, Richard, this past January. She was also predeceased by parents Ellen and John Fulton, sister Ellen Cook, brothers Tom Fulton and Jim Fulton, in-laws Richard and Eva Postans, Connie Ogden, Patricia Postans, Walter Postans, Mary Fulton, Stan Cook and nephew Barry Cook.

Gladys was very involved in the Thunder Bay arts community throughout her life. She was president of the Lakehead Visual Arts for 25 years and a founding member of the Thunder Bay Watercolour Society. She studied Fine Arts at Lakehead University. Gladys also taught oil, acrylic and watercolour painting classes for the City of Thunder Bay for 25 years, which she considered as one of the great privileges of her life. She participated in regional juried art exhibitions and was involved in supporting the Thunder Bay Art Gallery through the art rental program and the annual art auctions. She also served on numerous committees promoting the arts and could always be counted on to provide a thoughtful perspective. Gladys viewed her leadership roles as a way to serve others.

From a young age, Gladys always accepted responsibilities willingly. Wherever she was involved, she always put others first. She was very kind and empathetic to everyone. She would never ask someone to do something that she was not willing to do herself. She was able to encourage and motivate others to do their best. When organizing art exhibits everything had to be as welcoming and enjoyable for the guests as possible, right down to the carefully arranged squares and centrepiece on the refreshment table.

Gladys attended Westfort Baptist, Slate River Baptist and O’Connor Baptist churches. She was involved for many years in the organization of the Thunder Bay Christian Women’s Club.

Her relationship with God guided her in everything she did. She demonstrated her love for Him by willingly serving Him throughout her life. She never stopped praying for her family and friends. Whenever a difficult situation arose, her response was, “Well, we’ll pray about it.”, with full confidence that an answer would be provided. Her faith never waivered, no matter what the circumstances. She was the rock of our family and will be missed so much. She thought of all her grandchildren as her own children and was a major influence in each one’s life. No one wanted to disappoint Grandma, because they knew how much she loved them, and wanted the best for them. She was very invested in every aspect of their lives. It was important for her to know who their friends were, how things were going at school, what was important to them and how she could help in any way.

Gladys was a good listener who was always available for a long phone call, unless she was already on a phone call, then she would call you back. She always asked good questions because she was interested in others and their experiences. She could not be in a room with anyone without having a conversation and was never at a loss for words. She had a way of making people feel comfortable and valued. She was interested in politics and always kept up to date with current events. In her later years, her tv was always on a news channel, except for Sunday evenings when she looked forward to listening to her favourite Christian ministers. She often asked others what they thought about a topic so that she could get a different perspective. There was always time for a chat or a helping hand. Her own desires and needs were always secondary.

Gladys loved to paint. She would go out sketching with friends and loved the sights, sounds and smells of nature while sketching. The sketching adventure (and there were some interesting adventures) could not happen until the house was tidy and dinner was cooking in the oven. She enjoyed painting landscapes and still life but had a real passion for flowers. She made many close, lasting friendships through her love of art, all of whom she valued very much. She always referred to her “painting friends”, with whom she shared many deep conversations about family, art, religion, politics, and life in general.

If so desired, in lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the charity of your choice in the memory of Gladys.

Gladys’ family would like to acknowledge the excellent care she received in TBRHSC and St. Joseph’s Hospital on 2C and from Dr. Franchi, her family doctor.

A celebration of Gladys’ life will be held at a later date.