Theresa was a wonderful and supportive person. I met her through a peer support program. She saw something in me I didn't see in myself. She truly believed in me and everyone else in the program. Even when she was struggling, she was there for us. My favourite memory is of a new winter snowfall and her ecstatic delight at making snow angels. She saw the good in what many would consider bad weather. My condolences to her family and friends. She was a remarkable person who taught me so much. I will never forget what she has done for me. I will remember her always.

My deepest sympathy to the Claxton family on the loss of your beloved Theresa.    She was such a loving and kind person and will be missed tremendously.   Also my sympathy to my brother Omar Wali.  Thinking of you and may God bless you.  RIP dearest Theresa.

DOLLY FARIA🙏🏽🙏🏽

Dear Cathy, Barney & family:
Was so sorry to learn of the tragic loss of your sister, Theresa.
Losing a sibling at any time would be difficult but with the other challenges you are currently dealing with, well I can’t imagine how hard this must be on all of you.
But I know you are strong & have many great supports to lean on, especially each other.
Sending hugs & our sincerest condolences.
Janie & Grant. 

Very sorry to hear of Theresa's passing. She was always a pleasure to work with. WR

Theresa was a lovely person, an inspiration and a tireless advocate.  Gerstein Crisis Centre remembers her with respect and fondness for all the work she did around recovery and advocacy for people living with mental health needs.  It is with great sadness we say so long to Theresa.  Our sympathies to her family and all who feel her loss.

So  deeply sorry to have learned of the passing of Theresa* of the Peer Support/ mental health & addictions advocacy community.  Although I have only known her for a brief 2 yrs of my life, they were honestly some the most memorable and BEST yrs - because of not only her shared wisdom & experience,  but ultimately the compassionate humorous and class act of a human she truly was (honestly felt safe and inspired through her prescence).  Her impact for sure is felt and her legacy & memory will live on in multiple ways through all the lives she touched and endevours she created/was apart of, I'm certain.  My heart is especially with the Krsman Center/drop-in and everyone in the PREP program of 2018/19 that Theresa led <3 
I'll never forget, THANK YOU* Riposa in pace Theresa* (r.i.p)

Cathy, Barney, Chris, Shannon and family. We are so very sorry for your profound loss of Teresa. May her kind and gentle soul rest in peace. With love from. Dredagh, Colin, Daisy and Jamie McDonald xxxx

My sincerest condolences to the family and all of the lives touched. May she rest peacefully. Warmest hugs, love and respect. 
Baamaa pii  Theresa Claxton-Wali, Gchi  Miigwech for being you. Safe travels. xo

Tremendous loss in our community.  Myself and so many others received our WRAP Trainer certificates through her classes.  She was a great Mentor, a kind and generous soul .... no matter how busy she was, she always made time to 'be there' when I needed to discuss anything. Theresa has left a legacy in the Peer Community.  I am grateful for all she did and will miss her dearly.


Our deepest condolences to the family and to my brother Omar who has lost his love, wife and partner.  She was a kind person and her smile and her work says a lot about her.
May her soul rest in peace.

Sabeela & Edward Clarke

Thanks, Theresa...You saved my life, and I will always cherish you...❤️  Tobi

Our sincere condolences  and prayers 🙏 for Her families and to my dear brother Omar Wali 
. Theresa was a very nice person who always had a beautiful smile. and care for everyone.
Let beautiful soul is now resting in Peace in Parafise with the  Angels.
No more pains and aches.
Take care my dear brother love you.

Your sister Zinee  and husband  Buddy


Theresa was the reason I started a career in Peer Support. The endless hours and commitment dedication and support that went into the PREP course. It was such a pleasure learning from Theresa, she had a gift of making every-one feel special and was very respectful of every-ones journey. It was not an easy task teaching 20 individuals, yet Theresa always managed to put a smile on each one of our faces daily. Every situation that came along Theresa embraced with kindness and most of all she always managed to make you feel better even if she was having a hard day. She was a beautiful lady inside and out , a remarkable leader in the Peer Support World  and will be sadly missed.

Theresa,
      Now we can only say goodbye, with broken hearts, and yet we want to honour her life, her soul.

She was passionate about her “work”. Her work was to give us all so much from her heart. She helped us to grow in wisdom, about ourselves and others. She helped us to develop a greater understanding and compassion for ourselves and others. I was so glad that she liked those long drives, because we took the back roads  to get to meetings. It meant that I had a little more time to listen and learn from her. She was such a wonderul soul, and an enormous influence on myself and I know to so many of us.

I am grateful that she helped me to be a part of all of you. She brought us together and held us together. When I think of Theresa I think of all of you that I have had the privilege to know and spend time with.
She planted the seeds in us that helped us to begin the healing process and she has helped us perhaps, to find and better understand our own compass. To me this is the beginning of finding peace of mind. Peace being the key. Peace for the soul. A kind of freedom.

She gave us so many gifts. And true gifts because she never asked us for anything in return. She only encouraged us to try to be the best we could be.
She has been a great mentor in my life.

She was strong when I needed her strength, she was kind when I needed kindness, and she could lead when I needed guidance. She was a light in the darkness when I felt lost.

I wanted to write so much more but I struggle to see the page now. So I think I should end now with these last words, with all of you in my thoughts.

There is a song that puts into words something that I think we all feel at this time, “Only love can hurt like this”.

We all loved you deeply and we will miss you terribly.

And to all of you, thank you, we are Theresa’s people.

Dan


My deepest condolences for the family and for the many lives Theresa touched.  I was blessed with knowing Theresa for a short time when I came on staff at the Krasman Centre.  I knew Theresa mainly through zoom meetings and when she was present in those meetings, she exhuberated kindness, passion and excellence in all she did.  Theresa will be sorely missed by all the lives she touched and loved.  Rest in peace dear soul.  

I am very sorry to learn of Theresa’s death.  I knew her as a valued and respected member of the North York patient advisory council.  She was a strong advocate who did not  hesitate to speak her mind.

She will be missed.

Barb Avard

I was blessed to know Theresa,  even if was for a short time.  She was a beacon of hope for each life she touched.  Her dedication to the mental health field   and the joy she brought to that work will never be forgotten. I am a stronger person because of her as are many others. Her joy and humour touched our  hearts. Her bright smile will be truly  missed.  I am very sorry for your loss. Theresa was an amazing person. 


Dear Krasman Centre staff and leadership team,

I was very saddened to learn of Theresa's passing. During my time at the Krasman Centre as staff, she was a mentor to me. Theresa is a pioneer in peer support and she has kept behind her legacy. I am sure Krasman Centre will honor her memory and her programs forever. 
Theresa was very kind hearted, generous and had the sweetest smile.
I will miss her as there is a huge void in her absence.
Regards,
Zebina Virji 




I was deeply saddened to hear of Teresa's passing, It's hard to believe it was thirty two years since I met you, and I will always remember how kind, and warm and lovely you were. You will be so greatly missed. Rest in Peace dearest Teresa. 
       Sending my love and sympathy to all the family
                      Ciara & Fintan

I just found out a couple of days ago that we lost you..we are a strong woman down.😪💔 Thank you for your mentorship, comradship, your gentle, sweet, kind ways AND your kick ass approach when & where needed!  YOU made a difference to the lives of many..always fighting the good fight when speaking truth to power at the many tables in the halls of power locally, provincially & nationally!  My deepest condolences to Theresa's family. May your memory be forever a bright blessing for all who know & love you. Soar in Spirit, Rest in Peace & Power, dear Theresa.💖

To the Claxton and Wali Families:
I was a colleague of Theresa's at the Krasman Centre. She truly was a passionate pioneer in the peer support movement and worked endless hours in advancing the professionalization of peer support in the mental health/addictions field.
Please accept my sincere condolences in your loss at this challenging time in your life.
Theresa is to be celebrated for her kindness, dedication and generosity in making this world "a better place" for many, many people!

Sincerely
Sharon Swaffield

Our deepest condolences go out to Theresa's family, what a huge loss,taken to soon .
Margaret & Vic

It was with great sadness that we learned of the passing of your beloved Theresa. Please accept our sincere condolences on your  very sad loss, she will be much missed. We treasure the memory of meeting with Theresa when  we visited Canada and her homein Toronto back ln May 2012. Bless You, Rest In Peace. Michael, Anona

I had he distinct HONOUR of working with Theresa on many lived experience/family/caregiver advisories and projects over the years.  I learned so much from Theresa. Theresa exemplified dignity, tenacity, grit, passion and caring.  

I am so sorry for this loss.
Betty-Lou Kristy 

We send our deepest sympathy and love to all of Theresa's family. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.
We  met Theresa while on  family holidays in Canada, she was a beautiful person.   She did fabulous work for others and  touched so many lives.
May she rest in Peace x

We are so saddened to learn of Teresa’s passing, we send our deepest  condolences to her family and friends at this time, and they are all in our thoughts.
Love Rossa, Sharon, Megan & Holly  O’ Connor. 

My sincere condolences to everyone who knew Theresa: friends, family, and the thousands of people she touched over her lifetime and career. I had the pleasure of working with Theresa for many years in the peer support movement. She taught me so much -- and held me accountable to what she taught me with fierce commitment to social justice and her own unique loving way. I left every encounter with Theresa, even the most mundane, with her wisdom ringing in my ears, just quiet enough to still hear her laughter. I have missed working with Theresa for many years, and regret sorely that I will not see her again. She will be remembered for her heroic work and her tireless activism. If there are gentle spots of healing in York Region's mental health care system, it is her doing. Thank you for your decades of work on our behalf, and you will be so missed.


No more million emails from me, asking for your support to connect participants and visitors to programs :( . You were a truly amazing soul, passionate in all you do, a strong advocate and role model..You have created a legacy for peer support and will be greatly missed ❤️

Theresa had a profound impact on me and my role in peer support and mental health in general. She saw something in me far before I saw it in myself. In her kind yet direct way, she helped me find a path for myself in my life and in my work. 
I'm so profoundly grateful to have met and known Theresa. May her memory be a blessing. 

She will live on…. No doubt about it. The many people she touched will carry her flame on. She will be missed and mourned for a lifetime. I will never forget her beautiful smile, from the first day she took me under her wing…. 

She is an angle …. I will ink her memory into my skin… I love you my theresa. 

So sad to hear this news, and what a huge loss this is for North York General (NYGH) and the mental health community. She was always a bright light of hope and inspiration for mental health patients and staff here at NYGH. Her impact on our organization, and on each one of us who knew her, will be with us indefinitely. She was a unique and beautiful person that we will never forget. 

My sincerest condolences to Theresa's family and friends. I cannot even begin to express the profound impact Theresa had on developing and enhancing the mental health program at North York General.  Her advocacy for treating people with dignity and respect, and her work on stigma has made a lasting impact on the system as a whole. She devoted countless years of her time to making the experience of every patient a better one. She was an educator, a mentor, a coach and one of the most impactful advocates for mental health I have ever worked with. She will be sadly missed but her legacy will live on through the impact she has had on the lives of many. 
Sandy

OBITUARY

Theresa Louise Claxton

5 January, 1959 – 5 January, 2023

Kane-Jerrett Funeral Homes

Show your support

Add a Memory

Share Obituary

Get Reminders

Services