TUOMINEN, Christine Roberta (Chalmers)
1932-2026
Christine (Curly/Chris/Mom/Gran) passed away peacefully at 94 on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, with her family close by.
Chris was born January 30, 1932, to Robert and Christine Chalmers in Timmins, Ontario. She had a sister Catherine and brother David. After Bob’s wife died in 1942, he raised the three kids alone on a tight budget. Chris picked up this frugal habit from those tough Depression days-stretching Sunday dinners into meals all week long, sewing her own clothes, squeezing out every bit of toothpaste and never once hopping into a taxi.
After finishing high school-and even working as a ‘Farmerette’ picking peaches in Southern Ontario for a bit-Chris went to Normal School to become a teacher. Later she graduated from Queen’s University. She met Elmer on a double date; he was a miner from South Porcupine with a flashy car. That kicked off over 65 years together. They had three daughters and moved to Sault Ste. Marie when Elmer switched from mining gold to crunching numbers as an accountant-and traded his hot rod for a Volkswagen Beetle.
Their years in the Soo were full: raising three daughters who sometimes fought like cats and dogs, teaching school, skiing around town and building strong friendships locally. Retirement gave her more time for bike rides by the cottage and trips abroad-including cruises with detailed photo albums she made herself.
After Elmer died in 2019, practical Chris downsized first to an apartment then later moved into retirement housing in Ottawa. There she found new friends, handled some health issues without complaint and stuck close to her i Pad (with plenty of tech help from her daughter).
Chris was always teaching-even how to enjoy life fully. She was one of those people who’d “Send a casserole” when needed and spent decades volunteering at United Church bazaars. Her friendships were deep and lasted forever. A sharp dresser too-she taught high school English wearing stylish Mary Tyler Moore pantsuits. Into her nineties she picked up new card games and could solve Wordle puzzles in just two tries! She skied well into her eighties and biked until age 88. One phrase she loved? “I am blessed.”
She leaves behind loving daughters Liisa, Janice (Matt Johnston), Noreen (Alan Yeates) plus grandkids Declan Johnston (Christine Trinh), Cameron Yeates (Sydney Watson) and Jared Yeates (Natalie Diceman). Sadly predeceased by grandson Curtis Johnston. Also surviving are many good friends-some old pals from the Soo and newer ones from Ottawa.
A big thank you goes out to Carlingwood Retirement Home staff along with Dr Howard Cohen, the palliative team at Ottawa Civic Hospital and May Court Hospice for their kind care.
If you’d like to give something in memory of Chris you can donate to ARCH Sault Ste Marie, Hospice Care Ottawa or Liver Canada-a charity she supported because of Curtis.
A celebration of Chris’s life will be shared later on. Her final resting place will be in Sault Ste Marie.
