Jean Macpherson (nee MacKay) McConnell

It is with great sadness that Jean’s family announces the death of their remarkable mother, mother-in-law, grandmother, and great grandmother in her sleep on Wednesday, March 21, 2018, at Port Alberni, British Columbia.

She was born in Brandon, Manitoba in 1918. Preceded in death by her husband, Dr. Frederick Lorne McConnell (ret’d Captain, Canadian Army Medical Corps WWII), her parents, Dr. James Roy MacKay and Violet Mary MacKay (nee Macpherson), her brother Dr. Ritchie MacKay and sister Margaret (Peggy) FitzGerald. Jean was survived by her brother, Dr. John MacKay (USA), her four children: Sandra Martin (Gerald); James McConnell; Janet Calcaterra (Frank), and Maryann McConnell, her nine grandchildren: Erica Austrums (Tim); Christine BenMeir (Gadi); Dr. Yarrow McConnell; Nikoline Calcaterra; Kieran McConnell (Katie); Campbell McConnell; Katie Calcaterra; Amelie Morin (Malcolm), and Matthieu McConnell, her eight great grandchildren Emily Austrums; Jonathan BenMeir; Abigail BenMeir; Elizabeth Austrums; Elianna Austrums; Michael BenMeir; Tyson McConnell and Luca Dewell.

Jean grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, and attended the University of Saskatchewan, graduating with a B.A. in 1938. She taught high school in both Lloydminster and Regina returning to Saskatoon in 1943 when she married. She remained in Saskatoon through the war until after the birth of Maryann, her fourth child. She, her husband and children spent a year and a half in Montreal where he studied for his Neurosurgery Degree at the Montreal Neurological Institute under Dr. Wilder Penfield.

In 1954, Jean moved to Toronto (Etobicoke) where she resumed her teaching career at Royal York Road Collegiate in business education. She then moved to Scarborough where she taught at W.A. Porter Collegiate and Winston Churchill Collegiate where she was named the head of the Commercial Department. Subsequently, this extraordinary woman became the Vice-Principal at Bendale Vocational School, the first woman in Ontario to be appointed such a position.

Following that, she joined the Ministry of Education in Ontario and rose through positions on the Niagara Peninsula and then back to Toronto in the Curriculum Department, finally retiring at age 62. During her professional career, she also co-authored with William Darnell, a typing textbook and a bookkeeping textbook, published by McGraw Hill and used for many years in Canadian schools. She was active in professional educational organizations and served as President of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation.

After retirement, Jean lived in Parry Sound, Ontario where she served on the Board of the “Festival of the Sound”. Later she moved to North Bay, Ontario where she belonged to the CFUW, the Probis Club, volunteered at the hospital and served on its Board. In 1998, she moved to Vancouver Island, BC where she continued with her volunteer work and was active in the South Island Division of the Retired Teachers of Ontario.

Jean was loved and respected by all who knew her; family, friends, colleagues, and ultimately her caregivers. She was outwardly focused, loved to read, travel and spent a lot of time visiting and helping her children and grandchildren. She was a constant source of encouragement and hope to those around her, believing strongly in education, hard work and giving of her time and resources. She was an avid gardener and a brilliant hostess, both of which brought her great joy. She kept in touch with her far flung family, east coast, west coast, United States etc. by travelling to be with them all and relishing family reunions and get-togethers.

She died four months short of her 100th birthday. We feel so blessed to have had her with us for so long and will cherish our memories. God Bless you Jean, Mother and Grandma Jean.

A service will be held at the Christian Reformed Church, 5033 Roger Street, Port Alberni at 1 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2018. In lieu of flowers, donations to Echo Village would be appreciated.