Anne Usher

Anne Usher (née Conrod) died peacefully on May 12, 2026, surrounded by her children and grandchildren and the photo of Bob, the man she had married exactly 65 years earlier, smiling at her with windswept hair. She was 87 years old. Together, she and Bob had raised a family, travelled the world, entertained, nurtured friendships and worked to improve people's health and well-being in Montreal and beyond. She outlived him by 20 years.

Anne was born in 1938, grew up in the Snowdon neighbourhood of Montreal, was a proud Girl Guide, hockey goaltender in MacDonald Park and West Hill High School graduate. Her mother Kathleen (née Scott), born in Ireland, had been sent over to study nursing at the Royal Victoria Hospital. She raised Anne and her identical twin brothers Bill (1941-2018) and Scott while working as a school board nurse.

Following a brief time at Bell Telephone, Anne studied nursing (RVH Class of 1959), completing her Bachelors at McGill and making many lifelong friends. She worked the ER and pediatrics before marrying Bob, a pioneer in the field of neonatology, and accompanying him to Sweden.

Back in Quebec, her interest in social policy was nourished by experience of the Swedish model of healthcare, the introduction of Medicare and the growth of the community health movement. She volunteered with Bob at the Saint-Jacques medical clinic, providing free care to babies and children.

Anne's involvement in community life grew in step with major changes occuring in Québec's education and health systems. As a Commissioner for the Protestant School Board she fought for better French-language instruction in English schools. As a mother, she took advantage of the new openness to non francophones of the Commission des écoles catholiques de montréal (CÉCM) andenrolled her daughters in the local public French primary school.

She worked on the creation of a first CLSC in NDG, joined and then led the NDG Community Council, mobilizing the community on issues from tenant's rights to recycling to seniors' well-being. She was recruited onto the Conseil du Statut de la Femme du Québec in 1975, was director of the Canadian Council on Social Development through the 1980s chairing the task force on poverty and was a board member of the Montreal health and social services council and, later, the Montreal Childrens' Hospital. Anne was awarded the Canada Volunteer award in 1989. She contributed to assuring access to public services for minority groups in Québec and was a founder of the Friends of the MUHC to guaranty continued community engagementin hospital life after the merger.

Throughout the years, Anne's spirit was nourished by summers at Lake MacLeod and Harrington Valley, by her collies- Chips, Tess, Toby, Jake and Sasha- CBC, jazz, her NDG community, Saint-Patrick's Day parties, political debate and family.

She leaves behind daughters Heather, Susan and Kathleen; sons-in-law Louis Bennett and Robb Beattie, grandchildren Michelle, Emilie, Adam, Samantha,Morley and Cato, their partners Olivier Martineau, Ben Cox and Jess Benavidez, and great granddaughter Clara, along with many nieces and nephews whose company she treasured.

Annewould have liked any donations to be made to The Dépôt Community Food Centre at https://depotmtl.org/.