Retired deacon of the Diocese of New Westminster, the Reverend Tessie Eileen (Tess) Meadows (Lane) (b. November 11, 1940) died June 30, 2015, in her hometown of Minnedosa, Manitoba after a long illness with cancer.
Tess attended Lakelet and Grey Schools in Clanwilliam, graduating Grade 12 from Minnedosa Crossley Collegiate. After receiving her Diploma in Medical Technology at the Misericordia Hospital in Winnipeg, she worked at the Edmonton General Hospital.
On September 1, 1962, she married Robert (Bob) Meadows at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Minnedosa. Soon after, the newlyweds left Manitoba and Vancouver became her home, where she was employed in a private medical lab for 25 years. Following Bob's death in September 1991, Tess answered the call to ordained ministry and returned to school. She was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Michael Ingham at Christ Church Cathedral on June 22, 1997. Tess served at St. John the Evangelist in North Vancouver, retiring in 2007, after 30 years as a lay and ordained person in that parish. She also spent two years doing missionary work in Belize in the Parish of St. Joseph in Punta Gorda.
During her time as a layperson at St. John's, Tess was active in the parish and in the diocese as a: member of Parish Council, Synod Delegate, member of the Altar Guild, member of Diocesan Council, member of the Diocesan Programme Committee (1970's), member and chair of Stewards in Action and Partners in Mission.
In 2007, Tess returned to Minnedosa to be near her family. In 2008, Tess was licensed in the Parish of St. Mark, Minnedosa (Diocese of Brandon) but remained canonically resident in the Diocese of New Westminster.
A service will be held at 11am July 4, 2015, at St. Mark's Anglican Church. Internment will follow at All Saints Cemetery.
Plans for a memorial liturgy at St. John's, North Vancouver are being developed and a date will be announced as soon as the details have been finalized. Click the link to access St. John's website
Condolence cards may be sent to Tess' brothers, Robert and Ken at the following address:
Robert and Ken Lane
c/o Robert Lane
Box 1283, Minnedosa, MB R0J 1E0
PHOTO of Tess in the Holy Land, 2007: Courtesy of Janet Morris