Hazel Audrey Denning

July 14, 1932- March 17, 2024

Beloved wife, mother and granny, Hazel passed away peacefully at home on Sunday March 17, 2024, with her loving husband Jack at her side. Hazel is survived by her husband of 63 years, Jack, her son Anthony (Martha) and her two grandsons Nicholas and Ian. Hazel was predeceased by her brother Tony, her father Alfred, and her mother Alys.

Hazel was social and outgoing and loved to enjoy time with friends. She was an award-winning flower arranger and respected flower judge. She was head of the flower guild at Holy Trinity Anglican Church Thornhill for many years and a devoted member of Milne House Garden Club at Edwards Gardens in Toronto. She was passionate about her own garden too, and it showed. The terraces were full of colour, and life and she and Jack shared many happy times with friends and family under the awning overlooking their garden in Thornhill. Hazel and Jack had many delightful adventures travelling together (France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England and the Caribbean) and many of those trips included flower shows and the wonderful gardens that brought her such pleasure.

Hazel was born in Walton-on-Thames, England in July 1932. She was a lively girl with a sparkling, outgoing personality. She lived and worked in London England before travelling to experience working for Nestlé in Caracas, Venezuela. It would be the first of many international travels.

Hazel met her Jack in Venezuela where they were both ex-pats from the UK. They had a whirlwind courtship in Venezuela and married in New York City at St. Bartholomew’s Church in Manhattan. They went from New York to St. John’s Newfoundland where they spent three happy years, and their son Tony was born.

Hazel and Jack spent 10 years in Montréal building their lives together and settling into a wonderful neighbourhood straddling Beaconsfield and Baie D’Urfe. The lifelong friends they met in Montreal and Newfoundland were very important in their lives. And the 12th night parties Hazel and Jack hosted every year were a highlight for them and their friends.

Playing bridge or going to the theatre with friends, yearly trips to the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, social engagements, lunches, dinners, and parties, yearly trips to the Caribbean and other locales far and wide, and many other events were highlights of the long life that Hazel shared with Jack.

Recently, the ravages of Alzheimer’s took their toll on Hazel and dimmed her personality and ultimately took her away. The light she brought will be missed by her family and friends. But we know she is with God now, and at peace.

In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate donations be made to Holy Trinity Church Thornhill or The Alzheimer’s Society.