Denise Marie Cromarty

Denise Marie Cromarty was blessed with an abundance of leadership qualities. It would be accurate to say that this woman was an outstanding luminary and that her natural abilities served her well. She knew with certainty how she wanted to set priorities in all aspects of her life. She struck those who knew her as the kind of person who awoke in the morning with a clear sense of exactly what she expected from her day and how to set about accomplishing those goals. Denise was a woman who definitely liked order and was most comfortable with an organized and structured lifestyle. When this climate was absent, Denise would set about immediately to create it.

      Denise was born on August 31, 1953 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Toronto, Ontario. She was raised in Toronto, Ontario by her parents Edward and Alfreda. Denise was brought up to be reasonable in her actions and was taught to use her intellect wisely. She was an honest and straightforward child, traits that reinforced her self-confidence. Even at a young age, Denise was credited with having a positive influence on those around her.

      The positive atmosphere that Denise generated spread to her family. Denise was raised with two siblings. She had one brother Donald and a sister Diane. She served as a catalyst within the family. She often found herself in the role of providing fair solutions to those sibling disputes. In every family activity, Denise was able to demonstrate her uncommon logic and skill at building compromise.

      Denise's enthusiasm for learning and the personal energy that enthusiasm generated led to her exhibiting leadership qualities early on in her childhood. She liked to see things executed properly and showed a skill for taking control of situations that were drifting out of control. At the same time, she was willing to experiment with different approaches as she worked a plan towards a solution. In her spare time she liked comic books and drawing. Denise's memorable achievements included helping to raise her two younger siblings at the age of ten after the passing of her mother.

      When it came to academics and school, Denise's organizational skills reaped dividends. Denise was able to create a system for getting her class work done in a proper and timely manner. With a strong ability to analyze her schoolwork and assignments, she could apply a practical, common sense approach completing her studies. She showed a natural curiosity in the manner in which she tackled new types of problems and would regularly challenge her own reasoning ability in finding solutions. She graduated from Scarlet Heights Collegiate in 1972. She enjoyed some courses more than others and developed favorite classes and teachers. Her favorite class in high school was Art History. The teachers she enjoyed learning from the most was Mr. Epstein and Mr. Samotowka.

      The work habits and approaches to studying that Denise utilized in high school also served her well in college. Denise always seemed on a quest for knowledge. She was able to generalize, summarize and compile information for her classes, employing a matter-of-fact approach. Denise was intuitive and mentally alert, seemed to crave the challenge of solving complex problems. She earned her Creative Arts Diploma from Sheridan College. Her favorite course was metal glazing. Denise's other interests included the Fine Art Show & Exhibition-Soft Spot Gallery.

      In a group of friends and acquaintances, Denise was typically the first person to take the initiative to go up and greet someone new. That quality made her very approachable by others throughout her life. This same quality brought Denise the reward of many friends. Maintaining loyalty to those friends was a trait that came naturally to Denise. She believed that she should treat others in a fair manner, in the same way she wanted to be treated. Denise also showed a great deal of appreciation for the accomplishments of her friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Sandra Grant and Ann Maytas. Later in life, she became friends with Sandra Grant, Shelly Scarborough and Beryl Molnar.

      As Denise knew in other aspects of her life, she had a clear vision of what she sought in a relationship and worked hard to achieve it. On January 21, 1978 Denise exchanged wedding vows with Ian D. Cromarty at All Saints of Toronto. Ian was a significant part of her life, and it wasn’t necessary for Denise to be overly sentimental or expressive about it for others to be aware of their mutual devotion. Denise's secret to success was that she always kept the lines of communication open in the marriage and applied the important skill of being a good listener.

      Family and children were important to Denise, even if she didn’t always show it. Denise was blessed with two children, son Raymond and daughter Michelle. They were also blessed with one grandchild, Harrison. Denise was able to keep order in the family by using the same efficient and straightforward methods with the family as she did at work. Denise rarely made a scene when it came to discipline. Instead, she was subtle and patient in her dealings when teaching the children right from wrong.

      At work Denise was viewed as a natural leader. She could marshal all of the available resources, including personnel and materials, in order to meet virtually any objective. She was great at developing strategies and made maximum progress with little wasted effort. Denise was also adept at uncovering new and more efficient ways of getting things done. She was able to establish and meet objectives and schedules through long range planning and was always able to keep the big picture clearly in sight. Although Denise might have been described by some as an overachiever, she was without question a dedicated and diligent employee. Her primary occupation was Marketing coordinator and Executive Assistant. She was employed for 30 years at ComDev.

      Not only did Denise find pleasure in pursuing her various hobbies, she also enjoyed the discovery and research involved in learning about them. Her skill at problem solving had a positive influence on these activities as well. Her favorite pursuits were gardening, golf, reading and meditation.

      No matter what the activity was, Denise had the ability to motivate others. This talent influenced her participation in sports, too. She sought out the possibilities in a competitive situation, and she stayed cool and calm under pressure. She relished the stimulation of the action and energy associated with sports. Recreational sports included glof and step areobics. She was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed following her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

      Denise lived her life guided by a well-defined set of beliefs. Her faith and religion were important aspects of those beliefs. She was a member of Kriya Yoga Fellowship for 1 year.

      Traveling, especially vacations, was another way for Denise to apply her exceptional leadership and organizational skills. She liked exploring different places but also enjoyed designing and scheduling the trips in advance. She had real talent for developing the perfect itineraries. Favorite vacations included Caribbean, Italy, Arizona, Hawaii and New Brunswich.

      Denise passed away on December 27, 2015 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital in Cambridge, Ontario. She fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband Ian, children Raymond and Michelle (Tim), grandson Harrison, father Edward, and siblings Donals and Diane. Services were held at T. Little Funeral Home.

      Denise Marie Cromarty knew what she wanted from life and never hesitated in going after it. She could be characterized as a driven individual, someone who understood the importance of achievement. Denise was decisive and outspoken at times but was also positive and upbeat about most things. She was a leader, both intentionally and sometimes by default. If she saw that something needed to be done, she was always ready to step up and actualize, organize and implement a plan.

Anita’s Eulogy – Friend & Colleague

Emma, Mirella and I visited Denise shortly after she had been diagnosed with cancer. During our conversation, Denise showed us a book on Meditation that Raymond has given her, and said she was diligently trying to understand and practice. This immediately peek my interest and I mentioned that for several years I had practiced an ancient form of HIndu Meditation called KriyaYoga, with was brought to the West by Guru Paramahansa Yogananda. Denise expressed that she had had a long time interested in metaphysical knowledge, and in January, Denise asked me if I would introduce her to the practice of KriyaYoga meditation.

She seems to naturally embrace the Kriya philosophy and attended Yog Fellowship on a regular basis until November when she became too ill to do so. During the summer she spent several days at a Retreat, talking with the practitioners, meeting with Guruji Satyam, and thoroughly enjoyed the Vegan food, which I had shunned for years! I would arrive to find her deep in conversation and she would call me over and introduce me to those she had met, telling me about her connection to them; some were artistic, as she was, others were experiencing serious health issues, and they were able to share experiences and gain comfort and support from one another in a positive way. It soon dawned on me that in the brief time Denise attended meditation sessions, she had connected with more people there than I had in several years!

This should not be a surprise to any of us who know Denise for her gentle and sincere like-ability and easy laughter naturally draws people to her. I think that the way she embraced the Meditation practice, is reflective of the way she lived her life - for it seems that whatever Denise sets her mind too, she would do, not with grim determination, but with whole hearted desire for perfection. She read people well, and had a healthy dose of cynicism that she expressed in such an endearing way, you couldn’t help but smile. She may have been diminutive in stature, but she was powerhouse of strength.

I hired Denise almost 30 years ago and as a natural consequence of changes in life circumstance our paths had diverged over the decades and yet, in this past twelve months her simple request to learn more about meditation practice, gave me the unexpected gift of reconnecting us through a common interest during the most traumatic year of her life.

What did this meditation practice mean to Denise as she faced a life threatening illness? Absorbing the practice and its teachings help to allay some of her fears and anxiety and thus face the outcome with grace and courage; with personal empowerment rather than defeat.

Paramahansa Yogananda was an enlightened Yogi, and I like to think that before Denise passed away, she had come to understand and gained comfort from the words that he wrote - paraphrased below:

"There is so much more to life than what we, ordinary human beings perceive. Law governs everything in the Universe. Scientific knowledge seeks facts and evidence to test out its theories. The same scientific approach can be applied to seeking and understanding Spiritual knowledge: Denise sought this understanding.

Paramahansa continued:

"Life and death hold no more mysteries for me. I know that I and all soul are ever-living manifestation of the One Life, for all souls are ever-living manifestation of this One Life. One who is highly developed and has mastered all levels of consciousness can see into all realms of the astral world, thus if you send thoughts to a loved one who is departed, and you concentrate deeply, your thoughts, your messages of love, strength and courage are broadcasted through the astral plane to the departed via cosmic vibrations."

Denise has not forgotten you, just as you will not forget her.

Chrissy Lee’s Eulogy – Friend & Colleague

Good Afternoon everyone, my name is Chrissy Lee, and I had the pleasure of working with Denise at COM DEV for the past 26 years. We are here today to celebrate the life of Denise. She was a manager to some of us in the early years, she was a colleague, a mentor, and most importantly she was our friend.

She was known for her funny stories, whether it be something the kids did when they were little, Ian's special car always getting the garage, or his sailing adventures, Raymond's quest for becoming a fireman, or Michelle's marriage, and of course the birth of her grandson Harrison and new baby boy coming soon. She was always sharing cooking recipes as she was an outstanding chef, and she was always active and fit - going to the gym regularly. I always looked up to her, and valued her opinion on work and life.

She loved life, and everyone in her life. She retold stories of her youth, about friends she has had for many years, and most recently their vacations together. Even though we only met them a few times, we felt like we knew those friends very well.

We have a little walking group at work, Denise, Susan, Debbie, Naidean, Gillian and myself - our talks on our break walks were the highlight of everyone's day. There was lots of good advice, and of course a little gossip. :)

For over 30 years, Denise gave her everything to her other family, her COM DEV family. I would like to say a few words on behalf of some of the ladies from COM DEV.

Judith Firlotte said, “We COM DEV ladies (probably all introduced and/or brought together by Denise), have developed over the years a special bond of friendship. Getting together to celebrate life and family, to share excitements, news, disappointments, and most importantly to share love and laughter.”

Mirella Pandeirada wrote "It's been said you are with your work colleges more than your own family & I have come to believe that, you build a special bond as I did with Denise. We became great friends. I will always cherish the memories, all the fun times, our lunches at Fiddleheads, our golf games, her and I talking so much that we would lose track of our strokes - at least she had her bead counter attached to her golf bag! I will truly miss her & she will always be in my heart.....”

Susan Trott said "What to say in a few minutes about someone we've been friends with and worked beside for more than 30 years.

Since she was diagnosed we all knew she wouldn't be with us long, no matter how much we prayed and wished it wasn't so.

She fought it bravely and tried her best for the last year. It's just so sad as she should be retiring now and enjoying being a Grandma. I was hoping we could be retired together and golfing and just hanging out. I was lucky to be off these past few months and to spend some time walking and talking and enjoying a cup of tea with her."

As I said before, we are here today to celebrate the life of Denise Cromarty. Daughter, Sister, Wife, Mother, colleague, mentor and dear friend. You will never ever be forgotten.

Ed, Don, Diane, Natalie, Julia’s, Kurtis and Danny’s Eulogy – Daughter, Sibling and Aunt

For those who don’t know me, my name is Natalie. I am Denise’s niece and will be speaking on behalf of some of her family today. Denise’s brother, Donald and her sister, Diane wanted to share some early memories.

I remember our mother would dress us up, Denise wearing a little red velvet dress with a ribbon in her hair like a princess. I remember Denise as a little girl playing with Barbie dolls.

Every Sunday, as a family, we would travel to Dupuis Corner, New Brunswick and stay at the old farmhouse where Dad grew up. One of Denise’s favourite things was to spend time picking blue berries in the back field and having these for breakfast with sugar and milk. After breakfast our Mother would send us back out to get more blueberries for a pie. When all three of us were picking, Denise would always add berries to Diane’s bowl to make sure we all had the same.

At the age of 10, Denise went from being a little girl to a little mother. When our Mother passed away, I was 8 and Diane was 2 ½ and that little girl helped our Father to cook, clean and care for Diane- which is just one example of how Denise has always been a caring person, thinking of others before herself.

Her father Ed has many fond memories of Denise as a child. He remembers getting foot long hotdogs from a little hotdog stand down at Lakeshore and how Denise would always have more fun feeding the seagulls because she thought they looked hungry. He remembers as a little girl how she would comb his hair when he would sit on the couch and how she would look after her little sister, Diane, when she was very young. He remembers when she was five years old and they first moved to their new house on Renault Crescent. They showed Denise her new room and she quietly paced her steps to the bathroom and said, “Dad, I know how many steps it is to the bathroom”. She was precise, even at the age of five and always paid attention to even the smallest details. As a teenage daughter she would always let her dad know where she was going, when she would be back and never left before giving him a kiss on the cheek.

Denise radiated kindness and warmth. To her stepmother, Andrea, Denise was the daughter she never had. She accepted and welcomed Andrea with open arms.

We all have fond memories of summers spent at the cottage on New Brunswick with our families – that became a tradition. Denise always took on the responsibility of organizing the family get-togethers. Visiting family in New Brunswick was important - she made summer visits a priority and brought our family together.

The Auntie Denise that my sister Julia and I remember is wearing two-piece buttoned pajamas or a summer dress, while visiting family and vacationing at our parent’s cottage. She was always with a book in one hand, a cup of tea (or a glass of wine) in the other, with her hair tossed up elegantly. We remember staying up late and laughing in the kitchen and listening to her tell stories about the places she had travelled to. She was gentle and kind. She was wise, in the most humble way. She was someone who we looked up to and who we loved very much.

Auntie Denise’s nephews, Kurtis and Danny will always remember her amazing ability for hospitality and her personality for a perfect host who made every holiday family dinner and get together superb.

Denise was very artistic but didn’t seem to recognize her talent for painting. She was a creative artist, a creative cook and a humorous perfectionist. Everyone knew that when she took on a task, it would always turn out perfect.

Denise was a free spirit who loved to dance. At house kitchen parties she could always be found on the floor dancing. Denise was open and accepting and was always someone we could go to for advice and always get the right answers. She was supportive, our confidant and was the strongest and most caring person.

We are blessed to have Ian, Raymond and Michelle in our family. We thank Ian for his endless hours taking care of Denise and for his devoted love for her.

Someone as special as Denise, our daughter, sister and aunt, will never be forgotten and she will remain in our hearts for as long as we live.

Ed’s Eulogy - Friend

It is my honour to have been given this opportunity to reminisce about my long-time friendship and admiration of Denise.

I will keep this short and sweet,-------- just like Denise.

I have been privileged to have been a close friend of Denise and Ian for nearly 50 years, and had the honour of being the Best Man at their wedding some 37 years ago.

Our entire group of friends, beginning with High School, were blessed to be around her, and as of this day, I am proud to say that all of us have remained close friends. Over the years we have gotten together for everything from informal backyard barbeques to dinner parties, Birthday’s, New Years parties and so on. We have gone camping, spent many laughter filled times at my past cottage, and later on in life, many winter vacations in the Caribbean, where all of us always had a blast.

Travelling with Denise, as many of you know, was a well organized endeavour. Denise does the organizing, with Ian and the rest of us just following along.

This began with the booking of the trip, followed by emails to advise us of how many sleeps were left, then what time to meet at the airport, check in, and of course what magazine stores were needed to be visited prior to boarding the plane.

Once onboard, Denise had her own little ritual starting with changing her shoes, prepping her magazines and Sudoku book, placing them in the seat pouch, and then deciding what snack she would have prior to take-off. Denise always had an endless supply of snacks in her purse.

Once at the resort Denise was obsessed with pinpointing the best location on the beach to set-up at. The pool was not her preference. She would get all of the chairs and side tables for our libations set-up before breakfast every morning making sure that all the chairs were “reserved” by placing one of her magazines on every chair. We affectionately referred to her as our “ Little Chair Nazi “.

As the day progressed Denise would follow the sun. As the sun moved so did Denise moving her chair, table, and magazines to get the best spot in the sun.

Denise always loved a good get together particularly if it involved dancing or card games like Euchre, Poker, or Wizard. As for the Casinos, Denise would gravitate towards the Roulette table while Ian would wander around or stand behind her like her own personal security guard.

When at home Denise loved to tend to her beautifully landscaped gardens and formulating “Honey Do Lists” for Ian.

Denise had a tremendous love for Ian and her entire family, as well as her friends. She and Ian raised and nurtured their children, Raymond and Michelle, resulting in both being the successful adults they are today. In addition they are proud grandparents of Harrison, Michelle and Tim’s son. The little guy brought much joy to Denise’s life.

My memories of Denise will forever be of the numerous happy laughter filled, and fun loving times we had with her.

Julie and I will miss her dearly.

Michelle’s Eulogy - Daughter

First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for being here today to celebrate mom’s life and legacy. We are so overwhelmed by the outpouring support from all of mom’s family and friends this past week and also all of the support over the past year as mom faced her battle with this awful disease.

My words fail me at this time…putting pen to paper has never been more challenging. How could I possibly express all the things that mom meant to me? So I am left with feelings – feelings of deep loss, a crushing weight and emptiness almost too hard to bear. But also, feelings of love; overwhelming and bursting from deep within. My brother, dad and I are so fortunate to have had the wonderful years we had together with mom. And you, to everyone in this room – you are all richer for knowing her.

When I think of Mom many thoughts come to mind but one that stands out was her ability to cook with ease. Meals were never prepared half-heartedly. Even with the family’s busy schedule; gymnastics, swimming, hockey, step-class, squash and work, there was always a healthy and delicious meal at the table that we could all share together. As a working mom now, I often think back to that time and wonder, “how did she do it?!” She extended those weeknight meals to more extravagant Sunday night dinners – a roast with all the fixings was a common favourite and specialty. The importance of being together, having a good meal and good conversation was so important to her and helped shape our family to what it is today – close, warm, and comforting. She was also a master entertainer – always welcoming friends and family into our home – cooking for large crowds with an effortlessness and panache. Mom had a way of bringing people together, making them feel welcome and special to be enjoying a meal prepared by her.

If any of you were fortunate enough to attend an event like a wedding or COM DEV Christmas party with mom, then you would have seen her on the dance floor (probably one of the first on the floor) busting out her sweet moves. She absolutely loved to dance – moving to the music, being with friends, laughing and sharing a good time. I can recall on many occasions joining her on the floor, enjoying the time together. I remember going to see the broadway show Mamma Mia with her years ago – Mom loved a good ABBA tune. She could barely contain herself, watching and experiencing the show. She moved to the edge of her seat – reservedly bopping to the classic Swedish songs. Not wanting to make a scene of course (she wasn’t one of those belt-out-a-show-tunes kind of lady) –instead, clapping and grooving along quietly to the beat unable to contain her excitement. I remember that day – it was a fun day and it makes me smile to think of how happy she was.

Growing up, I always knew that our relationship was special – a bond like no other, precious and unique. Mom was a friend and a confidant, but also (when needed) a disciplinarian and voice of reason. As time went on and I got older, it became more evident how truly special our relationship was. Having been fortunate enough to work together at COM DEV for nearly 10 years, we would roam the halls of the office on our way for a morning coffee – I noticed the smiles of admiration and sometimes even heard envious comments from others, telling us how lucky we were and that they wished they had what we did. For us it was easy – just natural to want to be together almost every single day, it was a true joy.

Looking back on this past year since her diagnosis, I feel that her fight was symbolic of the person she always was – strong, brave, courageous and beautiful – she always looked good (stylish and classy) because she put the time and effort into doing so. It was a rare occasion that mom would leave the house without her “lips” on. Some may call this vain, but mom was anything but. I believe this to be her desire to always put her best foot forward each and every day. Even doing this up until the end. I admired this about her. She was elegant and lovely.

Her strength and selflessness came through even more over the past year. At times, when her grandson, Harrison was sick, sad or just having a bad day she wanted to care for him when it was mom who was fighting the greatest fight of all. She cared so much for him. It breaks my heart to think that Harrison and his baby brother won’t know this compassion. I will do my best to remind them of her loving ways, her kindness and her joy for life.

Being asked what I will miss most about mom is a daunting thought. There is too much to list – because my answer is “everything”. I’ll miss being able to call her up on the phone to ask about silly things, like “what temperature should I cook the chicken at?”, or “how do I clean that red wine stain from the carpet?” You see, Mom just seemed to know it all, but she was never one to boast about all that knowledge. If you asked she just simply shared her seemingly endless encyclopedia of life.

I will miss being around her, in mom’s presence – giving her a hug, holding her hand, enjoying a glass of wine together and merely sitting and talking to each other. Those were the most special moments.

I stumbled upon a quote to help articulate my feelings for mom – and like her, the words are simple, elegant, understated and true: “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” This is indeed the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I love you mommy, always have and always will – forever in my heart you will be.

Ian’s Eulogy - Husband

First let me express my thanks for the generous and kind support of family and friends during this period of grief. I assure you that your words of condolence and offers of help have meant the world to us.

I've known Denise since early high school, so if you do the math that would be 48 years. I was hanging out after school with a group of friends and someone brought along this raven haired beauty. Well, I was smitten. I didn't act on this initial attraction because at the time, I was a little awkward and shy with girls and there always seemed to be someone ahead of me asking her out.

As time passed a funny thing happened, we became good friends. Fast forward and I finally worked up the nerve to ask her out. On our first date we went to the Westwood Theatre, I believe there's a condo there now. When we left the theatre and went back to the car, which I had borrowed from my father, I started it, lifted up the stick shift, to put it into reverse and it popped right out of the floor console. I was in a panic, here we were on our first date and I had screwed up our means of transportation. Dammed British engineering, it was a Vauxhall. I called home to explain the situation and knowing this was a first date, there were howls of glee at my predicament. I was instructed to leave the car, carry on and the car would be attended to in the morning. So I walked her home which took 1 1/2 hours. It turned out to be a nice walk, on a summers evening and not a bad date after all.

I’ll confess it was not completely smooth sailing for the next few years as our interests and education took on different paths. But we always seemed to stay connected. It took me a while but once I realized what a catch she was I proposed and it was my good fortune that she accepted.

I remember my father briefly taking me aside before we were married and remarked that I was a lucky man. I had always admired my father and knew he was an intelligent man but his comment showed me what an astute judge of character he was. His observation was not lost on me and during our marriage, she proved to be a treasure. It may sound like a cliché but she was without a doubt my better half and she made me a better person.

I think the friendship we had developed served us well in our marriage. It just made it seem easier to get over the rough spots which are inevitable in any marriage. Friends always seem to be able to patch things over more easily.

Raymond and Michelle you were the loves of her life and you brought her immense pride and joy. One of her few regrets in life was not having more children. She had such a capacity to love and nurture that it must have felt like she had this huge reservoir bottled up within her. Once our grandson was born you could feel her joy and love whenever he was around. Harrison and baby brother to be will be poorer for not having the chance to get to know her.

Like a diamond she had many facets but a common thread to them was her artistic nature. She found an outlet for her artistry in gardening, (she designed and I did what I was told). In decorating and although we never finished the living room fireplace, we did finally agree on the stone to be ordered. Yes Julie, I promise to finish the job. At her work. Leading up to a trade show she would get very animated about how the colours and layout of the trade booths had to be just right. She bristled about any Engineer who schlepped her creation without the required respect. I often felt a little sympathy for them, truthfully, not really, I actually enjoyed the image.

Food was never just about nutrition, it was a means of expressing her creative ability. This discovered talent began early in our marriage. Once the kids entered our lives we continued to reserve some us time, by having Saturday dinner after they had been bathed, read to and tucked in. These were always formal affairs in the dining room with the silverware and china set out. We'd linger over dinner with a bottle of wine for an hour or so and chat. We continued this ritual almost to the end. Boy she could cook. Saturday nights will never be the same.

Feeding people well, extended to friends and family. It was one of her ways of showing that you mattered and were important to her.

Another thing that she absolutely loved was dancing. If there was a chance to dance she was there in a flash. She was joyous in moving with the rhythms of the music and the more people dancing the better. At the Comdev Christmas dances she couldn't wait to get on the dance floor. I remember watching her when a group of ladies got up, she would flow with the music, hands swaying, laughing and life just brimming out of her being. When she was dancing she looked like she had bypassed everything and had tapped directly into happiness. Maybe some of you know the Peanuts movie and the Snoopy dance, well that was her. If you don't know it, Google, “Snoopy Dance”.

I would be remiss if I didn't comment on her obvious physical beauty. I always found it puzzling that she saw short comings in her appearance. It occurred to me when I was writing this that she may have been just modest. I know she didn't have a vain bone in her body. On her beauty, I confess to being somewhat biased but to me she was one hell of a hot babe, right to end of her life.

Denise had this endearing quirkiness. Maybe I teased her too much about it. She was continually creating these "isum's. For example when I started snoring she would use ear plugs to get a little peace. When I awoke in the morning and inquired whether she had slept well, she replied, no! Learning she had chosen not to use the ear plugs, I inquired why not. She explained that when she's congested she couldn't breathe with the plugs. I was stymied how ears were associated with breathing. Both of us laughed as she tried to explain, knowing that it didn't make any sense. By the end of the explanation we both had tears running down our faces from laughing. I'm going to miss mornings like those. You can't beat starting the day with laughter.

I know there is great sadness and melancholy right now but I also know that in the future we'll be able to reflect and think of her with happiness. There are just too many great memories for it not to happen.

She's gone from us now but I know she's in heaven. I don't mean some ethereal place in the clouds with angels or some astral plane but simply in each of our hearts. That's were real heaven resides. Hold her close and dearly for me, she was the most precious thing in my life.

John’s Eulogy – Boss & Friend

My name is John Stuart and for the past 20 years I worked at COM DEV with Denise. This day and this ceremony is dedicated in support of Ian, Michelle , Raymond and all of Denise's immediate family. But Denise was also a member of another wider family - the COM DEV family where she worked for more than 30 years. As I said the past 20 years working in Business Development a small but very close team but before that Denise had many roles including running the pool at COM DEV West - those girls are still here and the sheer number of COM DEV folk here today stands as testimony to the love and the very high regard in which Denise was held by so many of us.

Frankly Denise was the most unselfish and dearest and kindest person we could ever hope to meet. We are truly privileged to have known her. Denise was always there for everyone. She was there to lend a helping hand, to step in whenever there was something to be done or some problem to resolve. We in BD travel a lot and I always referred to Denise as our rock the glue that held us all together wherever we were in the world. I would call into the COM DEV switchboard and ask for Denise. Immediately I would be put through. Nobody asked Denise who? Everyone knew Denise, everyone loved Denise.

Over the last 10 years Denise took on a new role managing all of COM DEVs exhibitions. Across the world Denise would design, organize and set up our exhibits where she also became the outboard face of COM DEV. During the past year when Denise was not able to travel with us – so many people from across the industry came up and asked where was Denise? How is Denise? Again a testimony to the regard in which she was held, not just inside COM DEV but from the space community at large. I can always picture her surrounded by packing cases, screwdriver in hand - setting up against seemingly impossible timescales. I also recall her wagging her finger at a union gaffer in Washington DC, who was twice as wide as she was tall but who had failed to deliver the right pallet at the right time!

It was an honour and a privilege to have known and worked with Denise. I know I speak for all of us from COM DEV who are here today. We are part of a great company and Denise was a big part of what makes our company great

We will all miss you so much but our thoughts and our prayers will always be will you - you will never never be forgotten

Shelly’s Eulogy - Friend

Hi, for those who don’t know me, my name is Shelley and I have been asked to speak on behalf of Sandra and myself about a very special person – Denise. She lived her life to the fullest, and touched so many people during her time with us. We all have memories that we will always remember that defined Denise, memories that we will always hold dear.

I would like to share some of those.

At a very young age, Denise, Sandra and myself formed a bond that would never be broken. We would say amongst ourselves that the 3 of us had created a circle, each one of us necessary to the others. We were all individuals who not only complemented one another but also enhanced each other.

Sandra recalls that when she first met Denise, she had realized that Denise came from a different religious background than hers. Denise was raised a Catholic and attended All Saints Catholic School. A problem arose in their friendship – when at school, Denise was told she should only be friends with people who had been baptized, Sandra was not. So Denise, after pondering this problem for several days came up with a solution. She would perform the ceremony herself, splash a little water on Sandra’s head, say a little prayer, and then Sandra could remain her friend for life. Friendship was always a priority of Denise’s.

I recall many trips with Denise (she loved to travel) to Mexico, Jamaica, Barbados and to the East Coast (New Brunswick) where Denise was born, but one of her favorite places to go was a cottage in Honey Harbour, which was owned by Sandra’s parents. It is a little cottage with a huge presence. Mr. and Mrs. Grant or who later became known as Piggie and Bumpa were warm welcoming and seemed like family. It was here as teens that we tried to teach Denise to water ski – the longest I ever saw her above water was maybe 20 feet. However, she was determined and kept trying over and over – and over a number of years. I have to say that we must have literally dragged her along the bottom of every lake in Muskoka. You see, in her determination she always forgot to let go of the rope when she fell.

Denise always enjoyed boat rides, she would sit perched up on the bow of the boat like a feisty little terrier.

Her last visit to the cottage was this past September. Like all of the other times, we were with good friends and family, and Denise, as always, was in the kitchen preparing dinner. That will be a cherished memory.

As I look through her life, I see so many valued and meaningful roles that Denise played. First and foremost, she loved her family unequivocally and selflessly. She was a devoted daughter (to Ed and Andrea), sister (to Donald and Diane), aunt (to Kurtis, Danny), mother (to Raymond and Michelle), grandmother (to Harrison), and wife (to Ian). She took these roles to heart and strove to support, honor, and love her family. She was at her happiest when surrounded by her family, even during those inevitable tough times.

It is very hard to say goodbye – and we don’t want to – but we need to remember that Denise had touched so many people’s lives so positively. Our friendship has been our strength throughout our lives. It has gotten us through many difficult times and made our lives easier and happier. We have always recognized the treasure that we had.

Our circle has been broken, and Sandra and I feel broken.

Sid Rao’s Eulogy – Friend & Colleague

My name is Sid Rao, I came to COM DEV from Montreal and I worked with Denise for 25 years. I’ve been asked to share my memory of Denise, not only as a colleague but also as a good friend, which she became over the years.

I first met Denise when she was managing the word processing group and she immediately reminded me of one of those very determined, short French-Canadian women that I’d escaped from back in Quebec. It was not until many years later when I learned her maiden name was LeBlanc that it all made sense. As everyone will attest, Denise was a gem: warm, charming & always one to make you feel comfortable – no doubt the influence of her Maritime roots.

That’s not to say that she was a pushover. If Denise felt something was not right or just, she could be very unyielding, like a dog with a bone. I learned this the hard way. We were chatting one day and I was complaining about how much luggage my wife was planning to take on vacation, most of which happened to be shoes. If I was expecting sympathy I wasn’t going to get it from Denise. It was as if I’d lit a keg of TNT: she was right in my face like a drill sergeant, explaining exactly WHY women needed to pack so many pairs of shoes. There were day shoes, night shoes, sandals, flats, open-toe.. don’t even start me on colours; all the while she was poking a sharp little index finger into my sternum. My response: “Yes Ma’am, no Ma’am, I’m sorry I spoke out of turn Ma’am”. Finally, she stepped back and composed herself, “Remember this Mister, shoes MAKE the outfit.” That message came through loud and clear and stuck with me over the years. It also became something of a running joke.

Fast forward to 2013: We were a tight knit group in Business Development, and Denise was coordinating about 4-5 trade shows per year. For those of you who aren’t familiar with what it’s like to work trade shows, it’s a bit like being in a traveling band or circus. There’s a frantic set-up of the trade show booth before the show, the actual show which lasts a few days & then the dreaded teardown of the booth, which has to be the most thankless job in the world, as you struggle to get all your things packed while heavy machinery rolls by and union guys snarl at you. We were in Beijing for the very first time and it was a whole new experience; Denise was negotiating with the snarling Chinese union guys, mostly using sign language.

By the time we’d finished teardown, we were exhausted – it had been a long week and we hadn’t seen anything outside the conference compound. As it turned out, we ended up with a free afternoon and Denise asked me if I wanted to go see the Great Wall, “After all it’s not every day I get to come to China, Sid”. I was jet-lagged, grouchy and in no mood for sight-seeing. I snapped “No, I don’t want to go to the Great Wall: it’s two hours in traffic, it’ll be a tourist trap, there’ll be nothing to eat but fried scorpions which are NOT gluten free AND you’ll probably wear totally inappropriate footwear”. That was a mean thing to say, and I knew it as soon as it came out of my mouth. When I saw the hurt expression and her lip starting to protrude, I felt the need to back pedal quickly.. okay okay we’ll go and organize a car and guide for the trip. “Don’t worry Sid”, Denise said “I’m going to change, I’ll wear my wedges.. it’ll be fine”. To this day I haven’t the faintest clue what wedges are.

Our guide turned out to be a young woman who spoke excellent English and told us the story of the Great Wall as we drove out to our destination. When she had finished her history lesson she asked curiously about our lives in Canada and out of the blue asked Denise her age. We’d celebrated Denise’s 60th that summer but when Denise disclosed her age I could see the disbelief on our guide’s face. Not to be outdone I chimed in “I’m 52!”. “You, I believe, but not her!” was our guide’s response.

When we finally arrived at Mutianyu it was everything I’d feared: a crowded town full of squalid huts selling souvenirs, donkeys braying and vendors hawking fried scorpions. We couldn’t even SEE the wall for the cloud cover that had rolled in. Our guide shuttled us on to a ski chair-lift that looked like it was built in the 50s and then told us to be back in 90 minutes. As we started climbing through the clouds, it suddenly began to dawn on me that we were actually in quite a hilly section and when we reached the drop off point above the cloud, it became immediately apparent that the wall, while stretching in either direction was anything but flat – rolling through the countryside for miles. One of ironies of being awe-struck is that being awe-struck by yourself is one thing, but having someone to share that experience with is a basic part of being human. “THIS IS THE BEST” we both said simultaneously and off we went, happily exploring the wall, that is, until we realized that we actually had a long climb uphill, on the way back.

We were riding back in the car returning to Beijing and Denise said to me “That was quite the workout – you could make a Chinese exercise video – the Great Wall Buns of Steel workout.” Then she added “I gotta admit my feet are absolutely killing me, I really should have worn flats” I groaned out loud, “Sure you COULD have worn flats but let me tell you something….” “I know” she said cutting me off, “Shoes make the outfit.” She threw back her head and had a good long laugh at herself, and her laughter was contagious, being Denise.

I could hear that laugh a thousand times and I never tire of it. I will miss you Denise.

Tim’s Eulogy – Son-In-Law

Friends, Family and Love.

For anyone who ever came in contact with Denise, they can attest that these three words encompass her best. Nothing was more important to her, no one was better at them and because of these reasons – Denise smiled a lot, she laughed a lot and most importantly, she loved a lot.

The Cromarty and LeBlanc family are very appreciative that everyone was able to be here today in celebration of Denise’s life. My name is Tim, I am Michelle’s husband and Denise’s son in law. Many years ago when I first met Denise and Ian, I was welcomed into the family and feel very fortunate to have been a part of Denise’s life.

Something that always amazed me about her was how easy she made things seem – no matter how much work was involved, Denise selflessly wanted to make people happy. So often, she was the common bond and reason that people came together. What stands out as really special though, is that even though her cooking was amazing, and her ability to entertain second to none - even without the effort she put in, people just wanted to be around her. Simply put, being around Denise was infectiously wonderful.

“Love Begins at home, and it is not how much we do … but how much love we put in that action.” This is a quote from Mother Teresa and could not be more fitting. Home was something else that was important to Denise, and did it ever show. A perfect metaphor for who she was and how much she cared is the backyard at Denise and Ian’s home. The beautiful, carefully planned and impeccably kept garden is truly a reflection of who Denise was, what she stood for and how much pride she took in everything she did.

As everyone knows, about 14 months ago Denise was diagnosed with cancer and her battle with it was, again – a reflection of her. She refused to let it stop her from doing the things she loved, she accepted and dealt with her pain without complaining and in true fashion for her – she stubbornly refused to let it get in the way of her beauty.

Without question, this is a very difficult time for everyone here and there will be some very trying times. There will be many tears, but there will also be many smiles as we all reflect back on how fortunate we were to know Denise. My wife, Michelle, said something to me the other night that has stuck with me and deserves a thoughtful response. After coming back from the hospital on the unfortunate night of December 27th when Denise passed peacefully with her family by her side, she said to me “I hope mom wasn’t scared.” I have thought about this a great deal since then, and I have come to realize the answer.

She knew how much she meant to so many different people, and how much she was loved. A proud parent and grandma, an adoring wife, a loyal sister and daughter and a friend in the truest sense of the word. Denise could not have been afraid at all, because she accomplished everything anyone could ever hope for in life, and had the opportunity to have her family by her side during her final days. Although it ended far too soon, it was a life completely fulfilled and that will carry on in memory through all of us. May Denise Rest in Peace.

CROMARTY, Denise Marie (nee LeBlanc)

Passed away peacefully with family at her side on December 27, 2015 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Loving wife to Ian of 37 years. Devoted mother to Raymond Cromarty and Michelle (Tim) Bowers. Cherished Grandma to Harrison Bowers and his baby brother to be. Dear daughter to Edward (Andrea) LeBlanc, and sister to Donald LeBlanc and Diane (Jean-Guy) Cormier. Predeceased by her mother Alfreda LeBlanc. Denise will be sadly missed by her many friends. Her family wishes to extend special thanks to the Oncology team at CMH as well as the caring staff at CCAC. The family will be receiving guests on Friday January 1, 2015 from 4-7 pm with funeral service on Saturday January 2, 2015 at 1:30 pm at T. Little Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 223 Main Street, Cambridge, 519-623-1290. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to the Canadian Celiac Association or the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Foundation.

* * * * * * * * * *

CROMARTY, Denise Marie (nee LeBlanc)

Passed away peacefully with family at her side on December 27, 2015 at Cambridge Memorial Hospital. Loving wife to Ian of 37 years. Devoted mother to Raymond Cromarty and Michelle (Tim) Bowers. Cherished Grandma to Harrison Bowers and his baby brother to be. Dear daughter to Edward (Andrea) LeBlanc, and sister to Donald LeBlanc and Diane (Jean-Guy) Cormier. Predeceased by her mother Alfreda LeBlanc. Denise will be sadly missed by her many friends. Her family wishes to extend special thanks to the Oncology team at CMH as well as the caring staff at CCAC. The family will be receiving guests on Friday January 1, 2015 from 4-7 pm with funeral service on Saturday January 2, 2015 at 1:30 pm at T. Little Funeral Home and Cremation Centre, 223 Main Street, Cambridge, 519-623-1290. As an expression of sympathy, donations may be made to the Canadian Celiac Association or the Cambridge Memorial Hospital Foundation.