In Loving Memory
Jil Sonia McDonald
April 19 – 1960 – November 2, 2023
Celebration of Life
1:00 PM Saturday, April 20, 2024
Cedar Valley Church
32860 Cherry Ave, Mission BC
Watch a Video Recording
A video recording is available below.
Jil Sonia McDonald Obituary
Jil was born at Vancouver’s St. Paul hospital on April 19, 1960. Her late father Howard Tullis was from Tullis, Saskatchewan and her mother Audrey Nee BaX Tullis was from England. Jil grew up with her younger brother Wayne Tullis with parents in Kerrisdale Vancouver until the age of 9.
She was a happy baby girl and was easily the best charming communicator. Jil loved to sing, dance and listen to her parent’s big band music. She remembered fondly the dances in the home basement with parents, friends and couples dancing through the evening on many occasions. She grew up dancing and singing.
Even so, Jil was a pure tomboy. She would climb trees and play road hockey with the neighbours. Jil grew quicker than most and was also a great school student. She would recall being so bored in school and still getting straight A’s. It was later in life that Jil found out she had an IQ of 145. Far above most which made her a formidable mind, as they say.
She remembered being walked to elementary school only once by her mother and then she always knew how to get there and back on her own.
Jil loved their first house in Kerrisdale and would drive by later in life and reminisce about the house, sharing how it was designed.
As a youth Jil followed her father to his commercial real estate deals. He allowed her to develop her skills as a real estate agent, designer and businesswoman.
Later, when her family moved to Coquitlam, Jil enjoyed new friendships that she carried for the rest of her life and whom she was deeply fond of.
She recalled the few girls that would call themselves Charlie’s Angels. Through the decades Jil would celebrate with them as she cherished them deeply.
Jil was known to be that happy, bubbly, no muss no fuss, a gorgeous tomboy, a cool young lady.
Jil remembers her first job as a hairdresser. She loved mixing color and became a proficient sought after stylist.
Later Jil entered “finishing school” and then modeling. She did runway modeling for various designs and shops in the Vancouver area as a teenager. She even made the news as a model. All this as a brilliant, attractive young lady with a tomboy heart.
As a young girl in school Jil started her school’s cheerleading squad. She was natural at encouraging others and coaching even at a young age. Jil was an ardent fan of Football. Her father was a great football supporter and her younger brother Wayne grew to be a great player himself. Jil was also a great Chicago Black Hawk fan as her father was good fishing buddies with the late great Bobby Orr. One summer fishing trip with her parents Bobby fashioned a ring out of a USA dollar with a note to Jil. She displayed it proudly in her home with pictures from that trip to Vancouver Island as a teen.
As a teen Jil was fascinated by cars and the idea of drag racing. She was an ardent fan of all things MOPAR. She had numerous cars and began racing locally in the Fraser Valley.
Jil was also known for loving a great time dancing and being with friends and was known to close down a few disco venues in the area.It was that time she met her first husband, who was also a great dancer. It was during this time that Jil discovered she had Rheumatoid Arthritis. But in Jil fashion she did not let it slow her down. Jill worked in the banking industry as well as running a Vancouver magazine and also doing real estate with her family. She still had time to involve herself in motorsports as well.
A few years later Jil and her first husband Chris adopted a wide eyed amazing son Tyler James Walter. He captured Jil’s heart immediately and she gave much to his care. They were inseparable and she poured her life into her son with deep pride. She was always proud of that period of her life.
It was also during this time that Jil moved into spiritual practice and involved herself in church life for many years.
Later as a single mom she moved to Mission to continue raising her son and started her venture into RCMP training and worked in Mission Community Policing.
She involved herself in church community life and began supporting homeless and income challenged people and started what is now a thriving church community mission to this day. She was a visionary and a doer and a practitioner of her strong spiritual values.
Jil became well valued as a real estate agent as well in the local area. Personable. Reliable and fun. She was known for planning get togethers for various people groups she supported in the community. She was known to light up a room when entering. Caring, beautiful and magnanimous.
She was even leaned up to provide leadership in various groups that she supported. As a community policing worker she was also a crisis line call agent. She was multi-talented, multi-faceted and brilliant in all her work. She was able to make assessments with people and things very quickly and with deep insight and care. She was formidable.
Jil was also extremely funny and clever in her communication. If you ever left her in a conversation you would be chuckling and also challenged at a way of seeing the world in a better way and being encouraged all at the same time.
In 2005 Jil met her husband Brander during a church activity. A year later they were married at 2 services. One Indigenous service at Heritage Park with elders and later that day at a formal service at Whonnock with friends and family. Jil says it was the best day of her life. The weather, people and services and party were perfect.
The honeymoon to follow to Banff was a memory filled with great times that she cherished and the couple returned there a few times over the years to follow. Jil always followed her heart and also her memories of family, so Jasper and Banff were such places.
A few years later Jil’s son, Tyler James Walter, left home after school and pursued travel and soon to follow with a marriage of his own to his lovely wife Ashley.
Jil was in tears of joy at that event. So to say that Jil was such a follower and lover of those romantical. She was a fan of romance.
During this time Jil was still racing the 15 years and an ardent member of the track in Mission. The commitment involved her building her motor for her own drag racer. Jil had a few cars but finally settled on a ‘73 Cuda. With the help of her late and former fiancé Charlie she developed a great car that was known all over the racing circuit from California to Idaho and as far east as Saskatchewan and into the BC racing circuit.
Jil was a very successful racer and managed to win her own racing category. She owed much of her success to many in the local Mission racing community such as the Benke’s. Jil was also very much a big John Force fan and was even asked to join his team. That was a huge life affirming compliment by John and she cherished it all her life.
Jil recalls having been teased all day at the track by a competitor in her final race and decided to put on her lip stick and blow him a kiss at the starting light tree before beating him handily. We all know that was an unfair advantage being that she was not only a fierce competitor but was extremely attractive. She could put on the charm to her advantage if she needed to. She recalled that story and always chuckled. She even mentioned this the last few days of her life with us. She was a joy and fun in all ways.
After a year in Mission Jil and Brander moved to Chilliwack. It was here where Jil realized her long love of Interior design. It was discovered by her husband Brander that Jil had been designing while with her late father Howard, and as a young girl and teenager she would be assisting in designing homes, commercial properties and had already done this work for 20 years.
She quickly finished her 4 year degree from New York School of Design and began her business as Jil Sonia Interiors. Her first project was a 9000 square foot Queen Ann style restoration and remodel. It was a huge success and launched a 15 year career until her untimely passing.
In the following years Jil grew to love her now growing family thanks to Tyler and Ashley and their amazing kids Audrey and Theo. She was the quintessential loving Nanna and would constantly brag to family and friends of her pride in her kids as she called them. She was always searching out things to buy in stores during her shopping. There were regular shopping lists and then there were family lists. She was deeply family oriented.
Jil was all about family. When she and Brander met he gave her a Cree Indigenous name “Tapweh Mahigan” which means “Truthful Wolf”.
Jil was a fierce defender of family, truth and justice all with a huge heart of love, compassion, empathy and encouragement and even tough love.
She would call on your “shit” and leave you happy to have it happen to you. Intelligent, fierce, loving, kind, funny and multitalented.
Later in life Jil was discovered to have ADHD. Her and her husband would laugh and say that makes complete sense.
Jil was fantastic regarding multitasking as a result. She could also decide on things in an instant. She could design a 5000 sq ft house in minutes. She was a savant at picking colors and doing design, running her business, being a parent, a partner and having time to know what you needed before you did yourself.
What is for sure is that Jil has left us with Love, Love and more Love. She was a great encourager, fierce in her approach to life. She never wavered from her bias to look at life from a positive standpoint. Her father had taught her that as a girl and she proudly carried that torch forward in her entire life and to all she knew and loved.
She is missed every day and will always be.
Jil you are perfect. We love you. We will carry your legacy forward in your honor.
With a smile, with humor, with a fervor for life.
Forever.
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Beautiful Jil, I miss you, I miss our chats. You were so uplifting and never complained about anything.
You are an inspiration Jil. I will never forget you.
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I am so grateful that our Creator crossed our paths. She was an amazing woman of joy, strong and courageous spirit, and oh so creative. She had an eye for beauty, not just in homes, but in people. I will greatly miss her.
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Love you and miss you so much ❤️ I’ll see you when I get there. I know that Brander’s
Heart is with you. We had the best times of my life racing at Mission. Everyone loved you and I considered myself very fortunate to have you as my dear friend…. Jeff
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Bless you my beautiful sister. Always lit up the room. Bless your way.
Xo
Love Paila
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Today we celebrate the live that you have lived. Personally I am still in shock and I do not want to believe this is true. However when I think of you I think of your love. You loved without an end. You will always be in my heart and the memories we shared will always be a memory that brings a smile to my face and heart.
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Happy Heavenly Birthday Jil, I hope you’re dancing with all the others who we said good bye to way too soon!
I have known you for over 20 years and I was blessed to have you as a role model and a safe home to hang out in as a teenager up to mischief haha! You provided us with love and good food and laughter all the time in some of the most important years of our lives, those years shaped us into who we are today and thank you for being a positive person in so many peoples lives! I’ll never forget your kind sweet voice and great laugh! Thanks for always being a dear friend to my mom and dad over the years and I hope you know how much you were loved and how much you are missed!
Brander im sending you a huge hug on today as I know it will be tough, I’m thankful you will be surrounded by so many who loved Jil and who are there for you in any way you need! I wish I could be there today but unfortunate I’m in the yukon and can’t make it down but I’m sending my love and prayers to all and I hope you feel a sense of peace today as you celebrate the beautiful life of your beautiful wife 💜 you two were a wonderful example of pure love and I’m so thankful for the many years we had with such a wonderful lady!
Keep singing and sharing your talent as your music speaks to so many and that was something Jil was always so proud of!
Love you all
Jordanna Roblee 💜
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I met Jil and Brander at the Convention Centre in Vancouver in about 2008. Brander and I were interviewed by Lorna Dueck of Joy TV re our Indigenous and Christian perspectives. We three immediately became close friends. Jil was so enthusiastic, reassuring and positive about the topic of our interview and they immediately began calling me Auntie. And I cherished them as my niece and nephew. They began to volunteer with Hummingbird Ministries. I remember her strong and smiling presence at our Peace thru the Arts Festival in Tsawwassen in 2010. And Brander played his guitar and sang his beautiful tunes and later let us produce one of his plays at our festival. They continued to be there thru the years as my family. Sometimes I’d take Dorothy to Chilliwack to visit them. And they would come and celebrate Christmas and New Years at my place with other HM friends. In 2015, Dorothy and I had a wonderful time at their Christmas party. In 2019, she helped me choose my new couches. She was such a gifted interior designer.. I was shocked and sad to hear about her passing. During Christmas 2023, I placed a Christmas candle she had given me on my living room table to remember and honour her who she was to me and to grieve my loss of my beautiful and gifted niece, who left us too soon. I miss you Jil. 💖 I have no doubt you rest in Jesus blessed peace my girl. ☮️ your beautiful smile remains in my mind and heart. I’m sorry Brander for your great loss. May the Great Spirit 💟 continue to strengthen and comfort you in the days ahead my boy. Love you. Auntie M. 💜
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I met Jil only a few times, and at each meeting she made me feel like a long lost friend. I will always remember the kindness she showed me and her lovely intoxicating laugh. She left us too soon.
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What a gift it was to meet our new neighbours, Jil and Brander, at the Falls.
Dominique, my son, says “Everytime I saw Jil, she was a ray of sunshine.
Jil was an intelligent, happy, kind and funny lady. I will also remember how confused I was when I had to choose the colour of paint for the garage door. This kind lady came with her samples and advised me on the perfect colour. She had a keen eye!
Jil will always be in our hearts. We will never forget this lovely lady. Our love is with you. May the good Lord, our Creator, take good care of Jil.
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Jil welcomed me virtually with open arms the first time we met online in our designers group. She showed me so much kindness – I think that is the defining word I have for her in my mind – KINDNESS – along with a great sense of humor and a spiritual presence. When we finally met in person I think we were both a little nervous, but again her kindness and amazing personality shined and I was sad to have to say goodbye. I am so glad I got to give her a real, in-person hug!
She has always been an inspiration to me with her design work, but also with her character as a person and in her walk of faith in God. She once asked me about how much people in Korea bowed to each other (because I had been living there). It was funny because they didn’t bow there a lot. But then I moved to Japan and people are ALWAYS bowing and so I think of Jil every time someone does.
My love and prayers are with her sweet family. She is one of the most special people I’ve ever met.
Love always, Jennifer
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What a life journey. Amazing. Hugs to you cousin, Brander
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Oh, my heart just plummeted when I saw this. Brander, I am so, so sorry for your loss. I didn’t see Jil often, but she always had a warm place in my heart and when we connected, she was like a soul sister. Her energy and talent will be missed.
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In my memories of Jil, she was a lover of dragonflies and all things turquoise and electric blue. She was fierce yet tenderhearted and practiced kindness in both word and deed. Her naturally effervescent demeanour could lift the mood of a room full of people without any effort. What a lovely way to be remembered.
The world became a bit dimmer when Jil departed from the living, but the stars in the sky grew a bit brighter from her spirit.
With sincerest sympathies to Brander, TJ and family
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I only met Jill briefly in the last few years. Brander and I have been friends for 35 years. I was doing a condo construction project in Vancouver and Brander shamelessly promoted the design skills of his wife. He was right. Oh my goodness she was talented! And so personally vivacious. Brander, I can see why you were smitten. And I can believe your deep sense of loss. Peace in the midst of tears and memories.
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I’m so very sorry for your loss, Brander. Forever my best interior design customer, you will be sorely missed Jil Sonia. Thank you for inviting me into your home, for our talks about everything cars and plumbing fixtures. It will always bring a smile to my face!
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Jil was a beautiful soul. I new her thru her interior decorating work. She helped me with one simple color decision and it turned my home into perfection. I will miss her. My love and prayers to Brander and the rest of her family.
My condolences to all who loved her.
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Brander, you and Jill have always been my most loved ‘nephew and niece’ .. I, was heartbroken when I learned of her passing.
My memories of Jill will always remain with me. It has always been good to share life with you both., visiting and having lunches together. Remembering also the times shared with my late sister Irene.
I was also happy to learn that she had known my late husband at the ‘Drags’ and she also sported a ‘Barracuda’
Loving memories and much love to you Nephew,
Auntie Dorothy
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It was so nice to hear Jill’s life story in this post Brander. I so enjoyed the times of visiting with you both. I am so sad we couldn’t visit the last few years and now that she is gone. You and Jill were so kind to me. I wish I could be there for her life celebration. 🪶🙏🪶
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Hi TJI , I just wanted to send a message from Jim & I. We have special memories of the times we spent together. The cute little clock still resides in our basement. I think I would like to have Jim take it to MCC as at least in Abbotsford they have people working there that do repairs so maybe another family can enjoy it. You are in my heart, Dianne
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To Brander and family,
Edith and I were honored to meet Jil when we came to BC and you both warmly welcomed us into your home. Her lively spirit and creative energy were so evident, as was her desire for justice, equality and fairness for all. Jil was your soulmate and loved you without reservation. Love motivated her and enabled her as she strived to live out the Seven Sacred Teachings in all her endeavors. May you feel the Creator God’s arms of love surrounding you in the days to come as you remember Jil’s life with you and recall so many memories that bring a smile to your face.
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Hello Brander,
It’s been a long time since we last saw each other. I had the privilege of meeting your wonderful wife. I wanted to be sure to extend my love and empathy to you and your family at this difficult time. God bless and keep you through it and I will remember your wife. Memory eternal.
Shari Suter
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Brander, I am shocked and saddened to hear this news. Thinking of you and the rest of her family. May she rest in peace!
Sending you much love my friend! ❤️
Allyson
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Deepest condolences, TJ to the loss of your mother and to Wayne Tullis, who I have not seen in probably 25+ years. My deepest condolences. From our family to yours.!
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It was a honour to know Jil.
I’ve known her through many of the stages mentioned.
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I miss you so much Jil. You & I have been friends since the 70’s when we lived in Coquitlam, oh we had so much fun driving around the city in those hot fast cars.
My dearest kindest friend I will always remember you as being the most wonderful beautiful soul that I have ever had the privilege of knowing.