Gayle Sharlene Brown

Predeceased by her beloved husband, Anthony Edward Hutchins, and her parents, Roderick S. Brown and Grace Irene Hunt Brown (née McDonald), Gayle will be remembered by her daughter Miranda (Drew), and granddaughters Courtney (Peter) and Keagan.

Gayle was educated at the Royal Academy of Music in London, England and taught many students piano, cello, singing, and speech and drama in her private music studio and at the Royal Conservatory of Music. She was devoted to researching her family’s history and their journey settling in Canada from Britain and Europe. She was an Anglophile and royal watcher; she loved the English language, words and dictionaries, was an avid reader, and a fan of any cozy English mystery on television. She dearly loved pets her whole life, and Petrarch and Chaucer gave her many hours of joy and cuddles in her final years.

Gayle’s family is very grateful for the exceptional care she received from the many PSWs, nurses, and other medical professionals over the past few years. We would especially like to thank friends John, Hilda, and Bill, and the Reverend Catherine Keating (deacon) for their generous support of both Gayle and her daughter Miranda during the difficult years of declining health and mobility.

Visitation will take place at 1:00 pm at St. John’s York Mills Anglican Church, 19 Don Ridge Road, Toronto, on Thursday, August 6, with funeral service following at 2:00 pm. Burial and tea will follow. Friends and family are welcome.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of the following:

St. John’s York Mills Cemetery: “The churchyard, or cemetery, attached to St. John’s York Mills offers an oasis of peace and calm just a stone’s throw from some of Toronto’s busiest thoroughfares.”

www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/93001

Na-Ma-Res (Native Men’s Residence): “Na-Me-Res cares for the whole person by providing support, housing, and cultural reconnection rooted in tradition and community. Help homeless Indigenous men find a way forward.”

www.nameres.org/donate

Matthew House Toronto: “Our primary goal is to restore refugees’ dignity by providing shelter and support in a welcoming, home-like setting.”

www.matthewhouse.ca/giving

Eva’s Place: “Eva’s is the second-largest shelter provider for youth in Toronto. Change starts with shelter — and continues with care, connection, and opportunity that reflect the communities we serve.”

www.evas.ca/ways-to-give

North York Women’s Shelter: “North York Women’s Shelter is an emergency crisis shelter and gender-based violence support agency in the North York area of Toronto, empowering women, non-binary, and trans folks to move forward into a life free from violence.”

www.nyws.ca/donate-to-nyws