March 20, 1954 – September 23, 2023
Mrs. Benita “Pete” Percival of Blackie, Alberta passed
away at the Foothills Country Hospice in Okotoks, Alberta
on September 23, 2023 at the age of 69 years. Benita was born in
the town of High River, Alberta on March 20th 1954. She was the
second of three daughters born to Roy and Muriel Meadows of Blackie.
The Meadows were chicken farmers and as such Benita spent many
angry childhood mornings crouched in a dusty feather laden chicken
coop hunting for eggs before heading off to grade school in Blackie.
Benita attended Senator Riley High School in High River, Alberta and
graduated in 1972. She attended the Northern Alberta Institute of
Technology and received her Medical X Ray Technology Certificate in
1974 becoming a registered Radiological Technician. At graduation
she was presented with the Bell Memorial Award for her academic
achievements.
Benita married farmer Gregg Percival, also of Blackie, in 1975. Benita
and Gregg could have been said to have been high school sweethearts
except that they had been secretly dating since kindergarten. Benita and
Gregg celebrated 48 years of marriage and had 3 children.
In 1978 Benita and Gregg purchased their first piece of farmland along
the Bow River across from Carseland. Together over the next 45 years
Benita and Gregg would work as a team and grow the family farm
which consisted of grain, hay as well as cattle. Benita also worked as
a Radiological Technician at the High River Hospital for over 30 years
supplementing the family income whenever she could slip away from
her first love of being a devoted wife and mother. Benita loved to cook
and bake. Pies were her favorite (a proclivity she passes down to her
daughter Trina). Sunday dinner was a weekly staple at the Percival
household.
Sadly in 2010 Benita was diagnosed with a rare debilitating and
ultimately fatal neurological disorder for which there is no cure. For
13 years Benita resisted steadfastly and courageously until her very
last breath at 7:40 am on the 23rd, day of September 2023. Gregg with
the help of caregiver Dee were able to keep Benita in their home until
the final days.
Benita is survived by her husband Gregg, her daughter Trina Dunn
(Greg Dunn), and her two sons Chad Percival (Amanda Percival) and
Dane Percival (Megan Percival) as well as 7 grandchildren. She is also
survived by her two sisters Brenda McMorris and Rhonda Meadows
(Jessie Michalchuk); mother-in-law Elinor Miller and her sister-in-law
Linda Hurl.
A Private Celebration of Life will be held.
If desired, Memorial Donations may be made to the Foothills Country
Hospice – www.countryhospice.org.
To send condolences and view Benita’s Tribute Page
please visit www.lylereeves.com. Caring for the family
is Lyle Reeves Funerals of High River (Craig Snodgrass)
403.652.4242.
