Sally (Sarah) Whan Crawford

Born in September 1929 in Northern Ireland, she was the cherished daughter of the late Robert and Elizabeth Crawford. As a young woman in Northern Ireland, Sally developed a lifelong love for shoes and began working in a local shoe store in her late teens. It was a fateful career choice; just down the street was a butcher shop where she met the love of her life, Jim (James) Whan. The couple was married on September 1948 and quickly embarked on a grand adventure together. In December 1948, they immigrated to Canada, arriving at Pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, before travelling by train to Winnipeg, where they built the foundation of their beautiful married life.

In 1990, Sally and Jim moved to Nanaimo, British Columbia, where she beautifully continued her sewing, knitting, baking sweet treats, and added Tai Chi to her weekly outings. Looking to be closer to their children, they made their final move across the country to Gatineau, Quebec in 2005. Sally was a woman of many talents and vibrant energy who took great joy in staying active through exercise, creating many treasured, hand-crafted pieces over the years, and baking goodies.

Sally's greatest legacy is her loving family. She is survived by her devoted children, son Brian Whan, and daughter Leslie Whan (and her husband, son-in-law Langis Parisé). She was the proud grandmother at heart of Émilie, Geneviève, and Raphaëlle, and the adoring great-grandmother at heart of Xavier and Isabelle. She is also survived by her sister Nan Anderson, her brother Ken (Cathy) Crawford, her sister-in-law Belle Crawford, her brother-in-law Robert Burns, and many loving nieces and nephews, and great and great-great nieces and nephews across the United Kingdom and Australia.

She was reunited in peace, on her wedding anniversary, with her beloved husband, Jim, and was preceded in death by her siblings and extended family: Bertha (Tommy), Taylor, Lily (Bobby) Jenkins, Jim Crawford, Jackie Crawford, Emily (Neill) Orr, Muriel Burns, and Bill Anderson.

The family extends their heartfelt thanks to Résidence Blanchard for the loving, kind hearted care they provided to Sally, as well as the Gatineau Hospital for their professional and compassionate care.

A Celebration of Life in memory of Sally will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, November 7, 2026. The family will receive condolences at 10:30 AM at St. Andrew’s United Church, located at 570 Avenue de Buckingham, Gatineau, QC J8L 2H3.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those who wish to honour Sally’s memory to make a memorial donation to the MIRA Foundation, an organization close to her heart that provides life-changing guide and service dogs to those in need.

Donations can be made securely online at www.mira.ca or by mail to:

Fondation MIRA

1820 Rang Nord-Ouest

Sainte-Madeleine, QC JOH 1S0