Roberta Hislop

It is with immense sadness we pronounce the passing of Roberta Walker Motion Hislop, also known as Bert to her family and friends. Mom slipped away from us on July 10, 2025. Mom was born in Cereal Alberta on May 8, 1937 to Robert and Alice Walker, but grew up in Oyen Alberta. She was the oldest of 8 children. At the age of 15 Mom started working full time at the telephone office in Oyen. She met her first husband, Fraser Motion in Oyen, who was working on the rigs at that time. They married in November of 1960. Working on the rigs meant travelling throughout Saskatchewan and Alberta, job to job. During this time, they started their family. Two daughters, with Kim born in 1962, Tracey in 1963, followed by son Jeff, rounding out the family in 1967. 

It was in the late 60's that Mom and Dad made the decision to go overseas for work. At that time oil in Canada was not a reliable source of income to support a growing family. And so, the adventure began with us living in Malta from 1968 to 1970. A quick stop back to Canada, then moved to Venezuela from 1970 to 1972, where we took up residence in both Anaco and Maracaibo. We returned to Canada in 1972 and settled in Saskatoon. In 1973, an opportunity arose to work for Hi Tower Drilling in Edmonton, so we packed up and moved again. In June of 1974 we lost our beloved Dad one month before his 36th birthday. A devastating blow to all, we moved back to Saskatoon. 

Mom met Stewart Hislop and married, moving her to Alsask SK, where Stewart was farming. Stewart, amongst so many others, became the benefactor of mom's kind and caring ways. Mom's family always came first, an example of this being spending the summers with her grandson Fraser, at the lake. This was a blessing for Kim who need not worry about paying for day care and knowing her son was in excellent hands. Mom cherished that time they had together. Mom would give you her last dollar or the shirt off her back to anyone in need. During her time in Alsask, Mom became very close to her baby sister Marsha, who also resided in the area. Besides the legacy of her family, Mom had such a creative and colorful side to her. She loved to cook and could have pursued a career as a Chef. She took cooking lessons and was always experimenting with different dishes. She loved to entertain, embracing that passion through food and drink. She had a flair for interior design, flower arranging, and knew how to display color palettes, turning anything into a masterpiece. Her favorite season was Christmas and her home was always a vision of the most elegant and beautiful decorations, described by many as beyond spectacular. Mom lit up every room she walked into, whether it be someone's home, a special function, or a stop in at a local pub, for her favorite drink, a Dirty Martini. She was always dressed in the most colorful classy threads, from her amazing hair styles, to her gorgeous array of earrings, followed by bling on her fingers and wrists. Her outfits demanded attention, right down to her rhinestone shoes or suede boots "I'm here, let's get this party started"! Her personality was so welcoming and engaging, she became a "mom" to many of her children's friends. She had a love for country music, and all the "starlets" of Hollywood, with Marilyn Munroe being her favorite.

Mom and Stewart moved into Saskatoon in 2015 to be closer to family. Mom had her health challenges throughout the years, but was a fighter, never giving up on herself. In 2022, Mom had to be placed in a home, where she created new friends with care aids, staffing, etc. Everyone loved Mom. But for all that knew her well, Mom was never the same. She missed her independence, her kitchen and cooking. Life gets messy. Mom longed again for the mess that comes with our independence. To us, Mom was a Rose without a thorn. Her petals showcased every color in the Rainbow. Yellow for a calming lull, pink for softness, white for an intense honesty and red for a fiery spirit that shone in her eyes. Her stem though was deep green, roots stretching, growing - always searching.

Mom was predeceased by her mother, father, sister Audrey, who was her best friend, brothers Gary and Cameron, her first husband, Fraser. She is survived by husband Stewart, daughter Kim (Alex), grandson Fraser and great granddaughter Ruby, daughter Tracey and grandchildren Robyn, Justine and Brayden, son Jeff (Lori) and grandson Cross, along with numerous family members and treasured friends. We wish to thank St Ann's Home in Saskatoon for their compassion and kindness during Mom's stay and through this very difficult time. We will never forget how good they were with Mom. We never had a chance to say goodbye to her. She was coherent one day and then the next not able to communicate. However, knowing Mom we believe her words to us would be as such. "There comes a time when time stands still; the hour glass sands trickle down to nil; every turn I take, my own shadow shows, it's more immense than me, trying to let go. My good bye to you is to count the blessings in your life, good and bad, that have come your way; use them to build onto tomorrow because there will never be another today."

Mom, you were so loved and will forever be missed. God made you a Rose amongst the Daisies. Your silken petals slowly closed; your roots quit growing but they never quit searching. To our Roberta Rose without a thorn, may your petals now fall from Heaven to let us know your search is over.