COLLEEN MARY PANKONIN (née Brown), of Coaldale, the beloved wife of the late Ben Pankonin, passed away at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge on Wednesday, November 11th, 2020, due to a sudden stroke at the age of 72 years.

Colleen is survived by her two daughters, Anita (Darcy) Haley & Tracy (Rocky) Scheer both of Coaldale; six grandchildren: Tanner (Lyndsay), Tyrell (Pati), Jessica (Darnell), Dalton, Shy-Lynn and Lee; and five great-grandchildren: Lilliana-Joy, Ryan, Lee-Lynn, Brook-Lynn & Ryder.  She is also survived by her favorite (only) brother Terry, his wife Carla their children Robert & Richard, and many nieces and nephews.

Colleen was predeceased by her husband Bernhard (Ben), her mother Eveline, her father Joe & her mother in-law Natalie.

Colleen was born in Kelvington Saskatchewan on April 28, 1948.  Shortly after she was born, she moved with her father, mother and brother to Ireland.  Unfortunately, that did not last long, and they moved back to Canada and settled in Lethbridge. This is where she met her future husband at a skating rink many years later by being hit by a snowball.  Ben and Colleen married in 1967, raised two daughters and resided in Lethbridge until Ben's passing in 2008.  She then moved to Coaldale to be closer to her children.

Colleen loved people; she was our social butterfly.  Everywhere Colleen went, she knew somebody and if she did not, she would always strike up a conversation with a stranger, bragging about her girls, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  She had a sing-song voice whenever she talked about her family.  Colleen loved to sing and had an incredible voice that touched a lot of people when she sang at the Lodge in Coaldale with a small group of friends called the Echo's of Hope.  If Colleen was not doing something with her family, you could find her either playing cards with her friends or painting ceramics.  Her home was always filled with ceramics that she painted, a passion that she had for over 40 years. 

Due to provincial COVID 19 restrictions, a private Family Interment will be held on Monday November 16, 2020. A Memorial will be held at a later date when everyone can come and celebrate Colleen's life.