Jody Anne McCurdy

McCurdy passed away.

Jody was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta but settled in Ontario after receiving her Master’s Degree in Plant Science from the University of Toronto. Her summer research projects took her to Alexandra Fiord on Ellesmere Island in Nunavut. This combined Jody’s love of travel and an insatiable appetite for learning. Her passion for knowledge and travel over the years took her to the Antarctic, Iceland, the Galapagos, Ireland, the Dolomites in Italy, Mont Blanc, Panama, and more. She even travelled extensively for her work. She was just as happy staying closer to home, in her little trailer. She loved nature and being out in it.

Jody had a deep connection to, and compassion for all animals - in fact, for all living things.

Whether great or small, wild or domesticated (like her precious cats) she loved them all. It

wasn’t unusual for Jody to stop her bike or car so she could help a turtle to safety.

Jody loved adventure and was a physically active person. She went on many cycling, skiing,

hiking and kayaking adventures and had an amazing throwing arm in baseball. When her health started to fail, she took up birding, coupled with photography and continued to enjoy the outdoors, but in a new way. When Jody had the chance to sit still, she enjoyed reading, the opera and poetry. At one point, she decided to read every Pulitzer Prize-winning book ever written and went about it with great zeal. She embraced life.

Jody was a deep thinker and a complex person with so much texture. Everything mattered to

her - her family, her own personal growth, the well-being of others, our environment, but nothing mattered more to her than her wife Krysta. From supporting causes she cared about, to talking to people she passed on the street, to reassuring other patients undergoing cancer treatment, she gave even when you wouldn’t think she had any energy left.

As cancer refused to leave her, Jody adapted to every change with grace and dignity - always

choosing life and still having hope. She taught us much about what matters, how to live and

what genuine courage is. Jody was an intelligent, passionate, remarkable woman. She will be sorely missed by her family, friends, and especially Krysta. More than anything, we will miss her deep, infectious laugh and her big McCurdy bear hug. We did not get enough of Jody.

Special thanks go out to Dr. Joan Chan, Dr. Julianna Switaj and the Norfolk Pharmacy staff.

Through your care, compassionate listening and many kindnesses, you made a difference in

Jody’s life. Jody will be honoured at a private gathering in May 2020, as she wished. If you would like to make a donation in her memory, please consider The Donkey Sanctuary of Canada in Guelph, Ontario. Online donations and condolences can be made at www.gilbertmacintyreandson.com.