Veda Marion Carol Hotel
(nee Cook)
Celebration of Life
Saturday, April 25, 2026
1:00 - 5:00 PM
St. Andrew’s United Church
1044 St Georges Avenue, North Vancouver, BC V7L 3H6
See on Google Maps
Obituary for Veda Marion Carol Hotel (nee Cook)
December 2, 1939 – February 18, 2026
After a brief stay at Lions Gate Hospital, Veda died peacefully on February 18, 2026, with the love of many family members at her side.
Veda was born in 1939 in a small farmhouse in Bowsman, Manitoba to Mae (nee Beals) and Carl Cook. She was followed by four brothers Clifford, Lyle, Dean, and Lynn. She grew up in this tight knit community surrounded by extended family.
Before graduating high school, Veda took a teaching contract at the age of 16 with only six weeks of training. She taught students from grade 1-9 at Moffat School and lived by herself in adjoining teacherage without electricity or running water.
A year later, she left for Teacher’s College in Winnipeg. Her roommate that summer was Marge Hotel through whom she met and fell in love with her first husband, Brian Hotel.
Veda married Brian in 1964 and moved to Vancouver BC, where they put down roots raising their two children (Carla and Charles); ultimately making their home in North Delta.
In 1980, Veda completed her BA at UBC and returned to teaching elementary school in North Delta. In 1987, she completed her MA in Counselling Psychology. The latter part of her career, she worked as a counsellor, mediator, and educator. Some highlights included teaching at UBC and in Prague, delivering educational in-service training in BC school districts, and mediating disputes throughout the province for the BCTF.
In 1997, Veda met and later married George Shipley. They had many adventures and did not leave each other’s side until George’s death in 2023.
Their large extended family was truly her greatest joy …
Carla and Pius (Oscar, Madeline, Henry), Charles and Karina (Tessa, Graydon, Ella), Katharine and Murray (Juliette, Ruby, Miles), and Sarah and Mike (Alefa and Kai).
Veda LIVED her life fully and spectacularly. She read voraciously, played bridge competitively, travelled the world with abundant curiosity, nourished many with culinary prowess, and celebrated family and friends enthusiastically. Veda was a patron of the arts, regularly holding season tickets for the Vancouver Opera, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Vancouver Playhouse. She was an outdoor enthusiast hiking and exploring the natural beauty in places like Yoho and Haida Gwaii. Veda skied Whistler every season and volunteered at the Sliding Centre in Whistler during the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games. She even, without much training, cycled from Calgary to Vancouver on a ten-speed bicycle. She took annual trips to Yellow Point Lodge in Ladysmith and more recently at Black Rock Resort in Ucluelet and loved watching grandkids play and surf during family summer trips.
Veda had recently moved to North Vancouver to be closer to her family and was making new friends, establishing a new community and genuinely enjoying her life.
Veda will always be remembered for her warmth, generosity, optimism, and her irrepressible joy for life. Her loving spirit filled every room she entered.
Above all, her love and devotion to her large family was unsurpassed. Most people who met her felt as though they were immediately a member.
Veda was incredibly philanthropic and donated widely to many causes. She would be pleased if your favorite charity received a donation in her memory, in lieu of flowers.
A celebration of life will be held for Veda in North Vancouver at St. Andrews United Church, on April 25, 2026, 1 - 5 p.m.
Condolence Messages