Local volunteer, veteran, world traveller, author and amateur actress Josephine 'Joie' Selkirk died on Saturday at the age of 102.
Selkirk served from 1942 to 1945 with the Royal Canadian Air Force Women's Division , serving in clerical roles in Ottawa, Winnipeg and Toronto as a corporal. She received national recognition for her work with the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion -including being presented the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation in 2008 by then-governor general Adrienne Clarkson.
"She was never reluctant to give of her time and community was important to her," Selkirk's youngest daughter, Glenda Selkirk, said. "She was one of those people that people said, 'we need volunteers, let's see if Joie is available.' I don't know of a situation that, when asked, she said she couldn't do it."
Selkirk was named the Prince George Citizen of the Year in 1982 by the Prince George Rotary Club. During her service with the Royal Canadian Legion, including 13 years on the local executive, she was presented the Meritorious Service Medal, Palm Leaf award and named a life member of the Legion.
Selkirk became active in the Legion in 1973, after her husband Ian -an army veteran of the Second World War and Korean War -was mortally injured in a fall at Sinkut Falls near Vanderhoof in 1972.
"He was unconscious for 19 months. He never spoke again -it was awful," Glenda said. "She missed him terribly. She truly, truly loved him. He died in 1974. She was still a relatively-young woman... [but] I don't think she ever even dated [after his death.]"
Glenda said she thinks her mother may have joined the Legion as a way to stay in touch with her husband's memory.
"They used to go [to the Legion] every Nov. 11," she said.
Selkirk was was born on Dec. 13, 1911 in the East Kootenays town of Sirdar. Her parents were Italian immigrants and she was one of seven children.
Selkirk's mother died shortly after her youngest sister was born, and the family moved to Cranbrook to be with her grandmother.
She left home at 18 - in 1929 - then, later, she joined the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942. In 1945 she and a girlfriend hitchhiked to Las Vegas wearing their air force uniforms -sparking a love of travel Selkirk would keep for the rest of her life.
By 1947 she had ended up in Yellowknife, where she met and married Ian Selkirk. After living in Spy Hill, Sask. and Trail, B.C. the family settled in Prince George in 1959 with their four children: Ianna, Roxanna, Barrie and Glenda.
She worked at the local probation office, Glenda said, where her compassion and ability to treat people with respect shone.
Glenda said she recalled her mother taking pity on a street person known as "Scotty," who would come into the probation office asking for money.
"She'd say, 'I won't give you money, but if you go across the street to Pat's News for a bowl of soup, I'll pay for it after work,'" Glenda said. "She was gentle, and kind. She always stood up for the underdog. Everybody was equal, to her."
Glenda said her mother had a talent for making everyone, especially children, feel special.
She had six grandchildren and four great-grandchildren and "all the nieces and nephews and grandkids, they all loved her," Glenda said.
"I can remember when one of her grandsons, he was three or four and they lived across the street, he ran across and said, "Grandma, Grandma there is a rainbow in the backyard,'" Glenda said. "She said, 'Oh my goodness...' put a yellow pail on her head and said, 'Let's go see it!' She was like that, always a sense of fun."
After retiring in 1976, Selkirk took part in the eighth Commonwealth Expedition - a six-month road trip from the U.K. overland to Afghanistan through India, Pakistan, Syria, Iran, Iraq and Europe.
In her 90s she self-published a book Journeys with Jo Selkirk, based on her diaries from the trip. In addition, Selkirk wrote and published magazine articles and newspaper articles on a wide variety of topics.
"She was always up for something new and maybe exciting," Glenda said. "She never read, but she wrote all the time. She was unbelievably proud of her book."
In addition to her passion for writing and travel, she was also "a frustrated actress" who discovered drama late in life through the Elder Citizens' Recreation Association's drama club.
Club organizer Marlene Wenschlag said Selkirk had a talent for memorizing poetry and dialog -in her mid-90s she recited the The Highwayman and The Shooting of Dan McGrew from memory.
"She was a really good actress. She did make people laugh," Wenschlag said.
In one memorably incident she nearly lost her trousers during a performance -only saved by another cast member who hugged her and kept the pants from sliding down.
"Everyone just loved her from the drama club. She was a very good friend for a long, long time," Wenschlag said. "But she did have a great, wonderful life."
A memorial service for Selkirk will be held at 11 a.m. on Sept. 20 at Assman's Chapel. A reception will follow at the Royal Canadian Legion.
