Guestbook
To Viive's dear family and friends, this guestbook was designed for you to write your memories and thoughts of Viive. To add an entry, please email it to our Moderator and it will be added to the site promptly.

Your assistance would be greatly appreciated in completing the Photo Album section of this site. We would like to title each picture with the relevant place, people involved or occasion. If you can help, please email the photo's number and an appropriate title to bmnw@sympatico.ca.


Entries
I am sorry to hear of Viive's passing. I remember the family quite well. I grew up in Montreal, and as a member of the Montreal Estonian community, went to Dalesville to the many Estonian celebrations held on the Pruuli farm. These were always fun and memorable events. As a boy of 7 or 8 I spent one summer vacation in Dalesville, where Mrs. Pruuli prepared delicious meals. I also remember Viive's pet goose Lucy. I now reside in North Vancouver BC, and would appreciate receiving emails from any of the people I knew from those days. Some who I went to confirmation with include Matti Lehesalu, Valdo Tammark, Elvi Kannelmae, Truuta Kaljuste, Jaak Kompus and others. If you are out there, drop me a line.

Entry Submitted By Tom Dreyer

My parents rented a cottage from Mr. Pruuli for over 30 years. As kids, we would spend every weekend and summer vacation there. Viive would always keep us in line, she kept us from causing too many disturbances (just the typical kid stuff). Sadly most of our conversations were short. Shortly before she died she found me on the internet and encouraged me to look into the Estonian Credit Union. I was doing research on banks today for our business when I remembered her email and this is how I found this site.

Entry Submitted By Darren Stehr

I met Viive in 1979. We had both been assigned to the Elbow Park Branch of the Bank of Montreal in Calgary as Assistant Manager Trainees. I immediately took a liking to Viive and loved her warm nature and wonderful sense of humour. In Sep. of that year we convinced our boss that he could spare us both at the same time and we ventured on a road trip through the northern states of the U.S.A. and into Canada at Vancouver. Viive kept a journal of the trip, which I still have, while I did the driving. The adventures of the trip were recorded in such a way that I still laugh when I read it today. The following is an excerpt: "Hours later we crossed into the US of A, not without event I might add. The customs officer seemed nice enough at first, but then he got personal. Imagine asking us if we had any citrus fruit. But we outsmarted him - we had ours camouflaged in with the peaches. He asked if we were Canadian but Helen said she was from Saskatchewan. Then we dazzled him with our gun collection." (She was just kidding, of course!) We had many instances of belly-aching laughter on that trip and our bond grew stronger.

On completion of our training program, I was lucky to get an Assistant Manager posting in Calgary, however, Viive drew the short straw and ended up in Rimbey, Alta., a small town in "nowhere Alberta". My favourite story from Rimbey was when Viive was in the laundramat and the hook of her bra got stuck in the vent holes of the big dryer. She couldn't reach it well, but luckily her Bank Manager was doing his laundry at the same time. He was able to climb halfway in and rescue it! When Viive had her fill of rural Alberta living she packed up and went back East. We did, however, keep in touch.

I remained with the Bank of Montreal for 26 years and had many opportunities to travel to Toronto on business. On some of these occasions I would stay for 2 weeks and spend the weekend in-between with Viive. Stan and I also moved to Toronto for 3 years and we saw her then. On one occasion when I was still single, I had gone on a Caribbean cruise and a stay in San Juan. I developed a severe case of bronchitis and was very ill on the way home. I had booked my flights so that I could spend a night with Viive, however when she met me at the airport I couldn't even speak because I had lost my voice. She wisked me to her home, tucked me into bed, and went out to get me some Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup which I was craving. She was like an angel to me at that very moment!

I called Viive during her last stay in the Hospital and was fortunate to speak with her a short while. Even though she sounded differently, her warm personality still shone through. We have planted a Spruce tree in her memory on our acreage in Millarville, Alberta and it is well on its way to becoming a strong and proud tree. Viive will always hold a special place in my heart as a good friend.

Entry Submitted By Helen Willy

I met Viive in Kapuskasing in 1981 when we worked for the Credit Union Central of Ontario. A year later, our contracts had expired, we had both found other employment, and Viive became my neighbour on Keewatin Avenue. Viive said she always knew when I was home because she could smell toast burning when she passed my apartment in the hallway. That prompted a lot of gag gifts from her and I treasure my collection of toast greeting cards, toast notepads, toast fridge magnets. At the end of our street, The Capitol Theatre featured the film "The Gods must be Crazy" for months and months and months. We used to joke that "The Neighbours must be Crazy" after looking at that marquee for so long. When I moved to New Jersey in 1986 I told everyone I was leaving the neighbourhood to see a different movie. When Viive visited New Jersey we went to diners. When I was in Toronto we went to Fran's. The last time we arranged to meet, I spotted her on the street looking distressed. Fran's had closed, it was the end of an era.

I live at the Jersey shore. At the end of my street there is a boardwalk lined with benches facing the Atlantic Ocean. Many of the benches have memorial plaques. One of my favourite inscriptions reads:

"Time held me green and dying
Though I sang in my chains like the sea".

Dylan Thomas (Fern Hill)

Entry Submitted By Jane Bartholomew

Viive võitles enda haigusega juba mitmeid aastaid. Viimaste kuude haiglas olek oli pingeline ja võimatult raske lõpp saatusele mille tagajärjed olid kahjuks temale ette teada.

Kuid Viive ei andnud alla teavele et tema elu igal olid väga tõsised piirangud. Tema pakkus enda aega ja oskusi mitmele Eesti ühiskonna tegevusele, nende hulgas ka Toronto Eesti Ühispangale. Pank on viimaste aastate jooksul sügavalt mõtlenud enda tuleviku suuna peale, ning järk järgult viinud läbi muutusi mis selle edu kindlustaksid. Viive pakkus meile enda oskusi ja abi ning tema pannus oli märkimisväärne. Töötades meile konsultandina, Viive valmistas meile põhjalikke analüüse meie toodetest ja teenustest, nende plussidest ja ka puudujääkidest, ning tegi ettepankuid erinevatest võtetest kuidas neid eesti ühiskonnas nähtavale tuua. Tema oli oluline resurss et Toronto Eesti Ühispanga tegevust viia interneti peale, kujundades meie kodulehekülge ning valmistades ka selle sisu. Siia on kaasa arvatud elektroonilise panga teenuste rakendamine interneti kasutaja kodust. Viive panus ei olnud mingi muu seas või ajaviite tegevus. See oli tehtud inimese poolt kes armastas enda tööd, ning oli uhke enda professionaalses võimes ning töö saavutuste tasemega. Tema töö oli põhjalik ja võimaldas otsuseid teha väga kindlal ja läbi mõeldud alusel.

Tuleb meelde et küsisin Viive käest et millist tasu ta enda töö eest soovis. Ta vastas: "Makse minule seda mida arvate et mu töö on väärt!" Ma usun et me leidsime mõlemilt poolt vastuvõetava lahenduse, kuid Viive vastuses peitub mis temale oli olulise tähtusega. Ta andis enda aega sinna millele tema ise oli väärtusliku hinnangu andnud. See on Toronto Eesti Ühispanga auks et Viive pidas väärtuslikuks meie tegevust, meie arengut, meie tulevikku.

Enda tööga ja enda abiga Viive sai olema nagu panga oma inimene. Tema kaotus on ka panga pere ühine kaotus. Armas Viive, Toronto Eesti Ühispanga töölised, nõukogu ja komiteede liikmed leinavad sinu elu kaugeltki liiga varast lõppu ning soovime kaastundeid sinu leinavale emale ning omaksetele. Puhka rahus.

Entry Submitted By Peter Einola