Pernell E. McKitty

When Pernell E. McKitty walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Pernell was and how she impacted those around her. Pernell was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Pernell wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Pernell was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

      Pernell was born on December 23, 1936 at Home in Mount Airy, Westmoreland, Jamaica. She was the daughter of Arthur and Gladys Bell. Pernell was raised in Kingston, Jamaica. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Pernell might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Pernell was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

      Pernell was raised with seven siblings, Winnie, Claire, Dorothy, Myrtle, Uriah, Ruby and Clifton. Pernell was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Pernell was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Pernell well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

      As a young girl, Pernell was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Pernell was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. Pernell took part in horseback riding. Pernell had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

      During her high school years, Pernell responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from St. Elizabeth Catholic School in 1951. Pernell was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Pernell absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Pernell, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game.

      With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Pernell was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Pernell was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, her best friend was Ruby Thomas. Later in life, she became friends with Helen Bomer while staying good friends with Ruby Thomas.

      On July 16, 1960 Pernell married Alvin Solomon McKitty at Saint Andrew's Church in Kingston, Jamaica. Pernell's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Alvin's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Pernell was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

      Pernell was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Pernell, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the McKitty home. Pernell's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Pernell was blessed with five children: three sons, Daulton, Dennis and Delroy, and two daughters, Veneita and Alyson. They were also blessed with thirteen grandchildren, Emane, John, Paul, Taquisha, Calleigh, Nathan, Marquel, Ashlin, Sebastian, Olivia, Taverio, Kiana, one great granddaughter, Khia.

      Pernell was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was as a cook. She was employed for 15 years by the Children's Aid Society of Toronto. Pernell was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Pernell had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Pernell's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

      Because Pernell loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favourite pursuits were gardening, cooking great birthday dinners for the grandkids, collecting salt and pepper shakers and antique china. Pernell had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favourite pastimes. However, Pernell's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

      Pernell derived much satisfaction from watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. Pernell was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favourite events whenever she got the opportunity. Tops on her list was boxing.

      Throughout her life, Pernell was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Pernell seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Pernell usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. Throughout her later years, Pernell was an active member of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto.

      Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Pernell's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Her most prestigious award was 'Foster Parent of the Year'.

      Pernell's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of travelling. Her favourite vacations were ones that were not planned. Travelling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Pernell took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favourite vacations included Montreal, Jamaica and California.

      Pernell was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Sheena, a Pekingese dog, was a best friend for 16 years. Her family was rounded out by her parrot, PJ and her two cats, Mac and Stanley.

      When Pernell's retirement finally came in 1997, Pernell handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Pernell to master. Her new life involved relocating to Whitby, Ontario. In retirement, she found new pleasure in travelling, spending time with the grandkids and gardening. Even in retirement, Pernell continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

      Pernell McKitty passed away on December 27, 2012 at Scarborough General Hospital in Scarborough, Ontario. She fought a brave battle against Pancreatic Cancer. She is survived by her children, Daulton, Dennis, Veneita, Delroy and Alyson, her thirteen grandchildren and her great granddaughter. Services were held at Oshawa Funeral Home. Pernell was laid to rest in Mount Lawn Cemetery in Whitby, Ontario.

      There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Pernell. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Pernell McKitty for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Pernell was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.

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MCKITTY, Pernell

Passed away on December 27th, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer at Scarborough General Hospital. Beloved wife of the late Alvin McKitty. Loving mother of Daulton, Denniston (Damaris), Veneita (Brad), Delroy and Alyson. Will be sadly missed by her 13 grandchildren; Emane, John, Paul, Taquisha, Calleigh, Nathan, Marquel, Ashlin, Sebastian, Olivia, Taverio, Briyanna, Kiana and one great grand-daughter Khia. She will be dearly missed by her brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews in Jamaica, the United States and England and her closest and dearest friend Helen Bower. A special thank you to her PSW Trinidad for her care and kindness throughout her battle. Visitation will be held at the OSHAWA FUNERAL HOME, 847 King Street West (905-721-1234) on Wednesday, January 2nd from 6-9 p.m. and Thursday January 3rd from 12 p.m. until time of Service in the Chapel at 1:00 p.m. Interment Mount Lawn Cemetery. Memorial donations to the Salvation Army or World Wildlife Fund would be appreciated.