On Sunday, March 20, many friends and colleagues will gather at St. John’s Cathedral, following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, to honour Shirley Trumper who has served as the parish’s Office Manager for the past 16 years.

On Sunday, March 20, many friends and colleagues will gather at St. John’s Cathedral, following the 10:30 a.m. worship service, to honour Shirley Trumper who has served as the parish’s Office Manager for the past 16 years.

Shirley was born here in Winnipeg, where she grew up and received all her formal education.  Although she was baptized at St. John’s Cathedral,  the church where her parents were married, Shirley and her family worshiped at St. Stephen’s Anglican Church during her younger years.

She attended the University of Winnipeg (formerly United College), graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology.  After receiving her Certificate in Education from the University of Manitoba, Shirley taught for 7 years at public schools in Wawanesa, Manitou, Winnipeg, and Pine Falls.  Following her time of teaching, she devoted the next 18 years pursuing a banking career with the C.I.B.C.

we give sincere thanks to God for Shirley’s faithful work

In 1992, Shirley joined her parents in worshiping back at the Cathedral, where she volunteered in the church office.  When the parish office manager resigned in 1995, Shirley left her work at the bank and assumed this full time position in the cathedral office.  Over the course of the next 16 years, Shirley would become a pivotal member of the cathedral staff, overseeing a range of responsibilities that included the operation of the cathedral office, coordinating many diocesan events that took place at St. John’s, and managing the cemetery and columbarium.

In 1999, Shirley continued her work at the cathedral, but began worshiping at St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, where she met her future husband, Mark Trumper.  After eight years of a deepening friendship, Shirley and Mark were married in March of 2007.

As she prepares to leave her work at St. John’s Cathedral, Shirley acknowledges that she will miss seeing her many friends in the parish on a regular basis.  Being what she calls a “detail person”, she says she will also miss the great variety of activities that her position has offered, along with its inherent quality of independence.

However, Shirley will not likely slow right down in retirement.  She plans to spend more time cooking and keeping the home in good order, while attending to her garden during the summer.  Other activities will likely include playing the piano, engaging in some regular physical exercise, and her great passion  –  reading.

We in the cathedral parish give sincere thanks to God for Shirley’s faithful work, for her devotion to the Church, and for her untiring spirit of generosity which has been a sign of Christ’s love for all whom she has encountered.