Anne Williams

To Anne Williams, the entire world was a stage. An expressive, optimistic, and uninhibited individual, she was a performer in the theater of life. To everyone around her, she seemed to be eternally happy, and she willingly shared that joy with anyone whose life she touched. For Anne, bringing out the best in any situation was as easy as offering a smile, a witty remark or the twinkle of an eye. And with just those simple gestures, she could evoke the most pleasant of emotions. Anne really mastered the art of living and had great fun in doing so.

      Anne was born on October 25, 1932 at home in Abbeyliex, Ireland. Her parents were Daniel and Catherine McEvoy. Anne was raised in Abbeyliex,Ireland. Even as a child, Anne had the ability to lift the spirits of all those around her. She was raised to be warm, caring and friendly. She couldn’t help but capture everyone’s attention. She was definitely a little bit of a show off, but in doing so, she succeeded in entertaining her entire family.

      Always a good playmate, Anne was easygoing and fun loving. She managed to lighten the mood wherever she was, even during family squabbles. She seemed to have a knack for bringing compromise and erasing tense situations around the house. Due to a generous dose of common sense, Anne managed to find a satisfying solution to basic problems. Anne was raised with twelve siblings. She had brothers Tommy,Danny,Andy,Jimmy and sisters Peg,May,Pat,Carmel,Lizzie,Bridget, Teresa and Kathleen.

      All of Anne's playful good humour carried over into her childhood. She was possessed with an outgoing personality, a lively imagination and a mellowed enthusiasm for life that allowed her to be constantly on the go. As a result, Anne experienced a rather active childhood, and this suited her very well. She enjoyed hiking in the fields of Ireland. In her spare time she liked dancing and going to the movies.

       It could be said that for Anne, grades may not have been the most important thing to her, but she really did enjoy her school experience. Since experience was Anne's best teacher. She enjoyed hands-on learning and applying the “practical” approach to knowledge, rather than getting caught up in “theory.” Anne graduated from National School Abbeyliex in 1947. She enjoyed some courses more than others, having favourite classes and teachers. Her favourite class in high school was English and History. She was a well behaved student for the most part, but once,she threw a pot of ink at a nun!

      Anne never actually encountered a stranger in her dealings with people. She was drawn to individuals and crowds, using her gregarious, adaptable and outgoing personality to captivate her audience. This quality allowed Anne to continually develop new relationships, ever widening her circle of friends. Anne delighted in her role among all her acquaintances, because she viewed them all as potential spectators for her performance. Whether it was a story, a joke, a song or just plain fooling around, Anne was always right at home putting on a show among her friends. Anne utilized her interest in others as a great way to connect with them. While growing up, some of her best friends were Ina Lawlor,Alice Brett and Molly Shea. Later in life, she became friends with Don and Terry Bain,Mary and Ivan Dempster, Roy and Carol Lambert,Bride and Dan McGovern,and Derek and Margaret. Anne loved sharing life and having her home filled with people she knew.

      The gift of being emotionally expressive and outwardly affectionate made Anne very easy to approach. On July 2, 1955 Anne exchanged wedding vows with Peter John Williams at St. Anglem's Catholic Church of London, England. She tried hard not to impose on her spouse. She was always sensitive to other people’s feelings, and that was especially true in marriage.

      Perhaps the reason Anne related so well to children was the fact that she never really completely grew up herself. The ability to be just a “kid at heart” helped her in raising her own children. Anne was blessed with two children, one daughter,Jacqueline, and one son,John. They were also blessed with three grandchildren, Chelsea,Nicola and Cassandra. Anne had the ability to focus her attention on the present moment. If she was spending time with the kids, that’s where all of her attention was directed. Anne's compassionate side prevented her from being a strict disciplinarian, and she could turn just about any situation into a playful, learning experience. She could spend hours entertaining them with fun and creative play. In fact, Anne had a knack for turning some of those nasty old chores into games.

      At work, as in life, Anne was a real “people person. ” she had a very successful way of dealing effectively with others, and her enthusiasm and energy was often contagious. When dealing with various projects and problems, Anne was an adaptable realist, using her common sense and trusting her experiences and impulses to uncover the correct answer. Anne's talent for being a down to earth thinker, allowed many around her to see Anne as an excellent problem solver. Her primary occupation was nursing assistant. She was employed at Tooting Bec Hospital in London, where she met Peter. Later she was employed at Hillsdale Manor in Oshawa for 20 years.

      Anne enjoyed her leisure time by taking part in various hobbies. An “arts and crafts” type, Anne liked creating and making things. Her favourite pursuits were reading, dancing and shopping. She was well known to have the ability to make people feel at home when they came to visit. Anne was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others.

      Anne felt excited and challenged by sports. Even if she wasn’t the best, Anne loved to participate and thoroughly enjoyed the competition and the pleasure of being around other people. Anne relished the opportunities where she could make an impact, and she would often push herself to play above her abilities. A quick thinker who understood the basics, Anne never seemed to get caught off guard, even when confronted with unexpected conflict. Recreational sports included long walks. She made a brief attempt to take up the sport of golf with her friend May. Anne was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favourite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list were figure skating and watching soccer. Chelsea F. C. was her team!

      Vested with a deep concern for spiritual development, Anne recognized that her faith was important to her throughout her life. She was a member of St. Mary of the People Roman Catholic Church for 38 years.

      Living life in the fast lane suited Anne just fine. It is no surprise that she loved to travel and to visit new and different places. She was naturally curious about other parts of the world and loved the real life adventure that came from visiting them. She was impulsive and willing to try anything once. Favourite vacations included trips to Jamaica, Hawaii,Acapulco,Italy,Portugal,The Maldives,Dubai and the Alaskan Cruise.

      Anne was a lover of animals and cherished her pets, enjoying them almost as much as she enjoyed being around other people. One of Anne's favourites was Mr. Puff, a ginger Maine coon cat. They were best friends for 19 years. Her family was rounded out by her budgie Jimmy and cuddle cat Molly.

      Anne believed that you had to experience life, and her life in retirement was no different. When that day finally arrived in 1993, Anne took it in stride as one more way to have fun. With her boundless energy and a desire to get the most out of life, Anne remained busy with people and projects. In retirement, she found new pleasure in travelling the world, visiting family and enjoying concerts and theatre. Even in retirement, Anne continued to stay in touch with her old friends and, since she'd never met a stranger, she made plenty of new acquaintances as well.

      Anne passed away on October 3, 2009 at Hillsdale Estates, Oshawa. She survived two heart attacks and fought a brave battle against Alzheimer's. She is survived by her children Jacqueline and John, grandchildren Chelsea,Nicolas and Cassandra, and sisters Carmel,Lizzie and Pat. Services were held at St. Mary of the People Roman Catholic Church. Anne was laid to rest in Resurrection Cemetery in Whitby, Ontario.

      Anne brought joy to all of those around her. She never had a mean bone in her body. She loved to have a good time and was an eternal optimist, always looking on the bright side of things. She loved to share her energy, wit, and her zest for all of her activities with her friends and family. Anne Williams lived life to its fullest and made everyone around her happier just for knowing her. She will be remembered with a smile.