Another sad event: Carman Sinclair

[Keith Webb]

Sorry to have to inform you I have just heard Carman Sinclair, known to many of you as Ma Yappy passed away near the end of May this year.

It seems somehow appropriate to mention it on today, the day of Salesman Bob's funeral as they were good friends through this forum, and Bob had even produced a cap in 2008 to celebrate Carman's anticipated visit to Corowa which unfortunately she was unable to make. Bob called her "Kartmann".

A heavy smoker, she eventually succumbed to lung cancer. For those who don't know, Carman was married for a time to this forum's founder, Geoff Winnington-Ball.

My last contact was a Facebook message May 12th:

I.m coming home ... Monday morning I'll be well taken care of
across the street from my kid. Travelling by ambulance. Now we
can focus on positives/quality ... my kid and i!!!!

At the time I mis-interpreted the message, thinking it was a positive thing.

Sad to find out so long after the event.

I Know she will be missed by many on this forum.

To close, here's one of her favourite emoticons (which she introduced to the forum) and summed up her attitude to cancer

RIP Carman.

[Howard]

Thanks for letting us know, Keith.
I never meet Carman in person, but did communicate with her via this forum, emails, and the occasional phone call leading up to her canceled Australian visit.
I fondly remember receiving a phone call from her during Geoff's stay at our house. She may have been an "ex", but she still laid down the law to GWB and he was very complaint! "Yes, dear, no, dear".
She was entertaining on this forum, and was very good at keeping things rolling when things got a but quiet.
Carman/Karmen/Kartman/Ma Yappy, missed.
The Holgates.

[hrpearce]

Thanks Keith, I had been expecting the worst when my attempts to contact Ma had continued to fail. We will miss her wit. Besides Carman also liked .

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Keith,

You seem to be the bearer of sad news these days. But thanks a lot for passing it on. I hadn't been in touch with Carman for a long while so I wasn't aware of her condition, though I do know she had been battling ill health for a long time.

For those who didn't know her, Carman signed up on this forum as "Vets_Dottir" back in 2003. She was looking for infomation about her uncle, Edward Smith, who was executed during the Normandy fighting in June 1944. After Geoff, Shawn and I visited her uncle's grave in 2004 Geoff noted "This thread is what brought you here, and this is what shall take you there" (yes, he was very good with words, should have been a writer).
Soon after they fell in love, and she moved in with Geoff and was one of MLU's hardest working moderators. Sadly the relation was not to last very long and eventually Carmen was banned from this forum by Geoff. That's how things can go in life, but let me end this post with a picture of Geoff and Carmen in happier times in Winnipeg as a tribute to a special person.

RIP Carman (a.k.a. Miss Yappy )

Hanno

[Keith Webb]

Thanks for posting it Hanno, as well as the other background. I'm sorry I never met her either.
And I'll try not to make a habit if being the bringer of bad news!

[Lynn Eades]

Keith and Hanno. Thank you for the posts.
Carman was a sole female voice on here, back then. I missed her when she left. Like Bob, I was often at the other end of the spectrum with her, Each of them added colour, and made an impact on our lives. It was nice to see a photo, and finally put faces to names. They are missed.

[Mark W. Tonner]

Sad news indeed, I just don't know what to say.

[Col Tigwell]

A great lady, and whilst she and geoff parted on a rather terse basis, she was and rightly so very concerned about the direction their life was taking.

She was a caring soul and it was a shame when the end came. Was the receiver of many kind acts from her and the world is not the same without her.

Too much sadness may the Lord safely hold her in his arms.

COL

[cliff]

I am sad to hear that Ma Yappy has passed even though it is some time since her and I chatted through Messenger. Rest in Peace Carman and don't get up to anything with Geoff and Bob now will you!

[Max Hedges]

Sad news also that Carman has passed, was wondering the other week if she was still going.
Max

[Jon Skagfeld]

Hell! Another one gone.

Yappy's sister died from lung cancer as well, being a very heavy smoker like Yappy was.

Last time her and Geoff visited, she (and sometimes both) went out frequently to the deck to have a puff or two.

During their visit, while Geoff and I went riding about in my C15A, Carman and my wife had a girlie talk. Seems that a great deal of their break up situation revolved around the fact that Geoff could pay for a trip to Australia but would not finance her visit to Manitoba to attend her sister's funeral.

So, there's some background to the story.

[Darrell Zinck]

Hi

Sad news.

RIP Ma Yappy.

regards
Darrell

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here's another picture I found of her while browsing through pictures on a back-up disk....

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Hi Bob,

Her search for her uncle Eddy was what brought Carman here - this is her thread: Books photos about executed POWS June 1944

Geoff, Shawn and I visited Eddy Smith's grave when we were in Normandy and delivered Karmen's eulogy to Uncle Eddie.

I believe she rests in peace, partially because of what she learned about her uncle here on MLU - mostly through Mark's research and Geoff's support.

Hanno