In 1975 David Woolliams took on the position of General Manager at the Shuswap Inn in Salmon Arm, a position he held until 1978. He and his wife Maureen and their three young children settled into life in the Shuswap.
In 1977 Maureen opened a kitchen, bed and bath shop called Décor Marketplace on Front Street, now Lakeshore Drive. She successfully operated the business for the next 20 years.
In the meantime, David joined Maureen at Décor Marketplace, and then in 1985 began work for BDO in their insolvency department. In 1991 he started his home-based business, Talana Accounting Services, which he operated until his retirement in 2013.
Maureen operated a home-based bedding business, Cozy Corner Quilts, from 1998 until 2008. During this period she co-founded “Christmas Delight,” an annual event held in Salmon Arm that attracted artisans from around the Shuswap and beyond.
David has been a member of the Shuswap Rotary Club for 32 years. He served 25 years as club Treasurer, works on the Kenyan School assistance project, and assisted with the club initiative to place 110 Brain Bikes in local schools. He has also served as Treasurer for the Shuswap Hospice Society. In the winter months he is an avid curler.
Maureen was on the board of the Salmon Arm Family Emergency Society as well as the Air Cadets both in Salmon Arm and Vernon. She was one of the original organizers of the Salmon Arm Grebe Festival.
The family did a lot of travelling and RVing throughout Canada and the US. In 1973 they took two small children on a four-month RV trip across Canada, down the eastern seaboard to Florida, across to Texas, then back to Vancouver. The family visited Europe several times. David and Maureen have also travelled to Turkey, Morocco, and most recently Kenya.
It took David seven years to follow a dream and cycle across Canada in stages, with Maureen following along in their motorhome. Various family members and friends would show up and cycle along with him for a stage or two. This was accomplished during the years 2000 – 2010.
David and Maureen have created the Quality4Life Fund, an endowment entrusted to the Shuswap Community Foundation to administer. They wish to give back to the community by providing opportunities to enhance the quality of life for people of all ages in the Shuswap.
They passionately believe in the value and benefits of improved physical and mental health provided by movement, exercise, social interaction, good nutrition, and healthy lifestyle choices.
Accordingly, they have directed that earnings from the Quality4Life Fund will be used for grants to people and organizations in the Shuswap that provide physical, mental, and social services which lead to an improved quality of life.
