Aileen / Elaine Sheridan

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Aileen / Elaine Sheridan. Born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1934, Elaine (known as Aileen to family) was the youngest of four children and part of a large extended family in Scotland, Ireland, England and Canada.

In 1949, Elaine, her mother and her siblings came to Canada to seek a better life arriving at the famous Pier 21 in Halifax and settling in Toronto. After high school she worked as a secretary for many different companies in Toronto and Montreal. In 1964, she moved to San Francisco, where she lived for six years, working as a secretary with companies such as Alcan and Fireman’s Fund Insurance, making many friends and having lots of adventures.

In 1969 she came back to Toronto to give birth to her daughter and be near family. Elaine worked for TV Ontario during this time as an Executive Assistant. This meant that her young daughter was able to have exciting experiences such as visiting the set of the children’s tv show, The Polka Dot Door! In 1978, she moved to Victoria, BC where she worked for the provincial government with the office in charge of promoting the “new” metric system to the province! She finished out her working years as the administrator for St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and retired from there at age 65.

Elaine was an incredibly kind, loving and supportive mother, and a thoughtful and warm friend with tremendous charm and a great sense of humour. She was strong, intelligent, a fierce protector of those she loved and the ultimate source of comfort to those in need. Famous for her many entertaining stories about growing up in Scotland during the war, her family, and various adventures with family and friends, Elaine was a true joy to be around. She was also an avid reader, music lover and genealogist, a skilled seamstress and crafter, and a brilliant cook and home decorator. She also had a beautiful soprano singing voice and recently performed a solo in a Christmas Concert at Sunset Lodge which brought listeners to tears. She adored children and animals of all kinds, and both were immediately drawn to her warmth and kindness.

Elaine was predeceased by her brothers Kaye & Lex and sister Sheila, and nephews Blair and Michael. She will be profoundly missed by her daughter, Monica. She deeply loved and was loved by her nieces Moira, Aileen, and Pat and nephews Gary and Mike, and their spouses and children. She will be greatly missed by too many people to name: family in Scotland, Ireland and England, friends, neighbours and the dozens of her daughter’s friends who adored her as a second mother, and as a grandmother to their own children.

Elaine will also be deeply missed by the staff at Sunset Lodge, who became a second family to her in the last year and a half. It cannot be overstated what a blessing the staff has been to Elaine and Monica. They didn’t just provide care – they loved Elaine like a family member and the comfort and support provided to Monica through this will never be forgotten.

A Celebration of Life will be held in the spring, and we will notify all friends and family of the details.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” - A. A. Milne.