Obituary of Dr. Heather M. Chipuer

Dr. Heather M. Chipuer of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, beloved wife of Gerard O'Neill passed away on April 4, 2018. Heather was born on April 30, 1958 in Meville, Sk. to Edmund and Helen Chipuer (Novakowski). She attended St. Henry's School in Melville, then the Yorkton Regional High School in Yorkton, Sk. After graduation she worked for a couple of years before backpacking across Europe. When she returned from Europe, she moved to Saskatoon and enrolled in the University of Saskatchewan and graduated with Honors in Psychology. Heather then moved to Toronto and obtained her Master's Degree in Psychometrics from the University of Toronto. She continued her education and moved to the USA to attend the Pennsylvania State University on a full scholarship, graduating with a PhD in Human Development and a minor in Statistics. Heather then moved back to Canada to accept an academic position at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She loved the teaching and interacting with the students and she continued with her research and publishing papers. In 1996 she moved to Brisbane to teach in the Psychology Department at Griffith University. Heather became active in the community and joined numerous groups and organizations. One of these being the Bicycle Touring Club, it was here that she met her future husband Gerard and they were married on January 19, 2003. In 2005 she changed careers, leaving academics to work as a Human Resource Senior Analyst with the Queensland Government. Heather led a healthy and active life style. She enjoyed biking, bush walking, meditation, yoga and travelling. She was a Tai Chi Instructor, a Reiki practitioner and a Gestalt Therapist. In 2014 she and Gerard did a six month bicycle tour of Portugal and numerous other countries. In the fall of 2016 Heather retired so they could spend more time travelling. This was not to be as in March of 2017 she was diagnosed with cancer. She fought hard and was always positive to the end. Heather was predeceased by her parents Edmund and Helen Chipuer, her brother Charles Chipuer and sister Jacki Chepil. She leaves to celebrate her life and cherish her memory her husband Gerard O'Neill of Brisbane, Queensland. Her sisters: Leslie (Rod) Varga, Sandra Chipuer, and Geraldine Chipuer, all of Yorkton, Sk. Brother-in-law, Ken Chepil of Yorkton, sister-in-law, Angela O'Neill of Chester, Cheshire, England along with numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, relatives and friends. Cremation has taken place. A Memorial Service was held on April 15, 2018 in Australia. "I'd like the memory of me to be a happy one. I'd like to leave an afterglow of smiles when my life is done." By an Unknown Author.