Shirley Torresan

Shirley Mary Torresan (nee Grant)

July 8, 1931 – September 18, 2025

It is with profound sadness that we, the family of Shirley Mary Torresan (nee Grant) tell you that she passed away peacefully at home in the early hours of Thursday, September 18, 2025.  She was born on July 8, 1931 in Cut Knife, Saskatchewan and had just celebrated her 94^th birthday.  She was the eldest of 10 children born to Gordon Grant and Agnes Alexandria (Bon) Grant.  She received the first nine years of her education at Wilbert School.  Following that, she attended high school in Battleford and graduated in Cut Knife in 1950. 

After graduation, she was offered a job as supervisor for the 1950-51 school term at Ada School.  It was a small one room school house and she had 8 pupils ranging from grade 2 to grade 7. 

It was while she was supervisor at Ada School that she met her future husband Matteo Torresan.  She spent many pleasant evenings at his family home visiting and playing cards.

On July 18, 1951 she married Matteo and they farmed a half section of land in the Baldwinton area.  They moved from the farm eventually settling in North Battleford.  Throughout the course of their marriage they had 8 children, Bonnie Bryksa, Kathleen Oborowsky, Peter Torresan (Debby), Kelly Torresan (Shawn), Craig Torresan (Nadine), Shirley Greening (Darryl), Victoria Torresan and David Torresan (Tobi).  She also had what she called an adopted daughter, Shellie Chartier (Calvin Abel). 

She was a woman who worked outside the home during a time where most married woman with children didn’t but somehow she managed it all.  Raising 8 kids, working full time, cooking and keeping a home.  Her home was always filled with her children and their friends and everyone was always welcomed by her.  Throughout her working career, she worked as a nurses aid, in a bakery, at a training place for severely handicapped children and a nursing home.   At the time she retired she was working at the Battleford’s Union Hospital in central supply.  After her retirement she moved to Vanscoy where she spent a lot of time in the lives of some of her youngest grandchildren, getting them off to school, packing their lunches and saying that she needed them more than they needed her.  Her love of children was evident and she enjoyed volunteering at a day care center rocking and helping feed the babies and when COVID prevented her from going to the day care center to do that, she baked cookies and buns for the children and sent them over.

She worked hard and she loved even harder.  She was generous and loved to share any good fortune she might have received with her family.  She loved family get togethers, a good visit, reading and playing cards, in particular canasta.  She loved to garden and was never happier than when she was scratching in the dirt tending her garden.  And she loved to share the fruits of that labour with her family.  She touched the lives of almost everyone that she met in her life’s journey with her gifts of kindness and generosity.

She is survived by her 8 children, 27 grandchildren and 35 great grandchildren.  She was so very proud and happy to have such a big family and considered a year where no new babies were being born a “crop failure”.  Also survived by her sisters Kay Robertson (Jim), Ruth Vetter (Ray), Maxine Kimpton, brother, John Grant and numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews. 

She is predeceased by her parents, Gordon and Alexandra Grant, her husband, Matteo Torresan, a son-in-law, Glen Sample, a daughter-in-law, Sonia Torresan, grandsons James Greening and Matthew Torresan, a granddaughter, Genevieve Allford, sisters, Lois Ramsay and Joan Trahan and brothers, Angus Grant, Ray Grant and James Grant.

Memorial Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25, at the Fairmont Baptist Church, 333 Fairmont Drive, Saskatoon with Reverend Robert Pearce officiating.

CLICK HERE FOR LIVE STREAM LINK OF MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR THE LATE SHIRLEY TORRESAN
(A copy of the live stream will also be available to view after the service at the link above.)

Donations in lieu of flowers to Salvation Army Community & Family Services, 38 Bateman Crescent, Saskatoon, SK S7H 3C4 Or Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, 202 Avenue C South, Saskatoon, SK S7M 1N2 Or Saskatoon Friendship Inn, 619 20th Street West, Saskatoon, SK S7M 0X8.

A private interment will follow at a later date at the Cut Knife Cemetery.

The family would like to thank Dalmeny Funeral Home and Rose Grant for her assistance, Fairmont Baptist Church and Reverend Robert Pearce for officiating, the grandchildren and great grandchildren who assisted in mom’s end of life care so she could be at home, and K & N Kitchen for catering the luncheon. 

Dalmeny Funeral Home in charge of arrangements with assistance from her niece, Rose Grant. 306-254-2022.