They broke the mold when they made Helen Moffat, said daughter Marilyn Blair.
Moffat died on Sept. 6 just eight days short of her 98th birthday.
"She made everyone feel good and that's why people were so drawn to her," said Blair.
Besides her family, music was close to Moffat's heart, Blair added.
She was a member of the Cariboo Chorus that traveled throughout the province for two weeks in the spring of 1958 to celebrate the centennial as the Colony of British Columbia was established by an Act of the British Parliament in 1858.
"It was a big step for her," said Blair, because to make the trip her mother had to leave her family.
Moffat taught piano in her home for about 20 years and was the organist for St. Andrew's United Church for 17 years and directed the choir as well, Blair added.
"Music was a great love of hers," said Blair. "She is a great Prince George supporter and has always been - we haven't done all the numbers but she was probably about 12 years old when she moved here with family and lived here all her life. She enjoyed good times, and of course, being married to my dad (Harold Moffat) kept her busy with his functions and things like that."
Church was very important to Moffat as she had a strong Christian faith, added Blair.
"She always had a great sense of humour and was always looking on the bright side," said Blair.
"She saw the good in people. Mum was a long-time member of Eastern Star and received her 75-year pin, which is quite unusual. She was so personable and she had a lot of friends. She made a lasting impression on people. She certainly had a unique way of being in the world."
Blair's husband Jack has fond recollections of Helen.
"All throughout her life, Helen had a wonder, an amazement, a gratefulness and a joy for things and she would say things like 'can you believe that a little girl born in Gull Lake, Sask. would walk with and entertain the Queen? Can you imagine that?'"
During husband Harold Moffat's mayoral reign from 1969 to 1979, the royal family visited in 1971 for British Columbia's centennial commemorating the province entering into Confederation in 1871.
Queen Elizabeth, Prince Philip and Princess Anne visited in May.
"There was always a child-like wonder even to the very end," said Jack. "She would say 'I am almost 98, can you imagine a machine operating for that long?' I think we could all take a step back and think 'why can't we be like that?'"
Jack admired Helen for her spunk and spirit that he said was subtle.
"She could do it in verse, she had a turn of the word and she could write all kinds of stuff with quips going back and forth between people and you could be zapped, you could be had, and you would go away smiling because she had you, she had the last word but it was in good fun and you would try one-up-manship with her and you couldn't," Jack fondly recalled.
"You would walk away saying 'OK, you got me this time, but next time I'm going to get you' but you never did."
Family was everything to Helen, said daughter Val Kilbey.
"She was devoted to her immediate family - to us and to all her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren and she always made time for us," said Kilbey.
"She would stop what she was doing to play a game of cards or play a game and family birthdays were always a big event and both she and my dad knew it was really important to stop and play Farmer in the Dell with all the little children and teach them all of those kinds of traditions."
Born Sept. 14, 1917, Moffat is predeceased by her husband Harold and her son, Ted Moffat and son-in-law Bill Kilbey.
She is survived by her daughters, Marilyn (Jack) Blair and Val Kilbey, daughter-in-law Gloria Moffat and brother Ross Styles, her grandchildren and great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Moffat Family Fund at the Prince George Community Foundation.
Moffat's memorial service takes place Saturday at 2 p.m. at
St. Andrew's United Church, located at 3555 Union St.
