Winifred Eveline Kenny

Winifred Kenny (née Dawson) died peacefully on November 1, 2013 in White Rock. She is survived by her children, Philip (Gloria) Kenny of Surrey, BC and Michael Kenny of Toronto, ON; and grandchildren, Elizabeth Kenny (Meesoo Lee) of Vancouver, BC, Adrienne Kenny of Vancouver, BC, Joshua Kenny (Elly Lupi) of Toronto, ON, and Myles Kenny of Toronto, ON. Winifred was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, England and attended secretarial school at Pitman Business Academy. Working for local businesses, she quickly established a reputation for intelligence, organizational skill, and a rapid typing speed. During an interview for an administrative position at a coal merchant, she performed complex mental calculations with remarkable quickness and accuracy; the supervisor was so impressed that he hired and later married her. Winifred and John Kenny moved with their sons to Toronto in 1957. Winifred served as executive assistant in several different companies, notable among them Power Supermarket. The president of Power Supermarket, Leon Weinstein, had never kept a secretary for more than two months; Winifred was with him for eight years, first at Power and later at Loblaw’s. In 1974, Winifred became General Manager of the Canadian Thoroughbred Horse Society (CTHS), Ontario Division and served the organization until 1982 when she accepted the same position at the CTHS, BC Division. She retired in 1987 and moved to Mississauga, where she volunteered and later worked for the Mississauga Senior’s Centre. During a trip to the Centre, Mississauga’s mayor, Hazel McCallion, marveled at the smoothness with which the organization ran and learned that Winifred was the woman behind it. Winifred was then offered a highly-placed administrative role with the City, which she respectfully declined. In retirement, Winifred kept her mind sharp through crossword puzzles, whist, and intellectual jousting with her family and friends. A memorial service will be held at 3:00 pm on Saturday, November 9 at Victory Memorial Park Funeral Centre, 14831 28th Ave, Surrey, BC

In lieu of flowers, donations to the Salvation Army would be greatly appreciated.