Mrs. Pansy Theresa Verna MacInnes

Peacefully on August 20, 2011, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Beloved wife of Norman and mother of April and Heather. Survived by her beloved “Aunty,” Alma John. Cherished daughter of Clementina Frederick. Dear sister of Michael, Dennis, Yvonne, Deighton, Denise, and Sherryann.

Friends may visit at the Rosar-Morrison Funeral Home & Chapel, 467 Sherbourne Street, Toronto, on Tuesday, August 23 from 2-4 & 7-9 p.m. Funeral service to be held at Our Lady of Lourdes Roman Catholic Church, 520 Sherbourne Street, Toronto on Wednesday, August 24, 2011 at 1 o'clock. Cremation to follow.

Donations may be made to the Princess Margaret Hospital, the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care, Wellspring, or Toronto Grace Health Centre.

Pansy’s life -

Pansy MacInnes (nee Frederick) was born and grew up in the village of Sauteurs, Grenada. She was raised by her aunt, Miss Alma John – Pansy’s beloved “Aunty.” Sadly, Aunty herself passed away just two days after Pansy, on August 22, 2011.

Pansy’s younger siblings, Michael, Dennis, Yvonne, Deighton, Denise and Sherryann, lived close by with their mother, Clementina Frederick.

From an early age, Pansy excelled at school. She attended St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic elementary school in Sauteurs. For high school, she commuted several miles by bus to St. Joseph’s Convent School in Grenville, Grenada’s second largest town.

Pansy was a very active member of the St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church choir, where her beautiful soprano voice played a prominent role.

From 1965 to 1967, Pansy went to Trinidad to study at Mausica Teachers’ College. Upon graduation from Mausica she returned to Grenada and taught elementary school.

In September 1970, Pansy emigrated to Canada. She worked for a year in a clerical/administrative position with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation in the drivers’ licence control division.

In September 1971, she enrolled in an Honours B.A. program at the University of Toronto. She met her future husband, Norman MacInnes, in a first-year English class.

Pansy and Norman graduated with their Bachelor of Arts degrees in 1975. Pansy then embarked on a 32-year teaching career with the Metropolitan Toronto Separate School Board (now the Toronto Catholic District School Board). She taught at St. Williams School from 1975-1990 and at Our Lady of Lourdes School from 1990-2007. By studying part-time, she completed her Master of Education degree (M. Ed.) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1977.

Pansy and Norman were married on October 9, 1976, at Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church in Mississauga. They began their married life in an apartment at 106 Goodwood Park Court in East York (near Danforth and Victoria Park Avenues).

In 1982, they moved to a house at 103 Chester Avenue in Toronto (in the “Greektown” area near Danforth and Pape Avenue), where they have lived ever since.

Pansy and Norman had two children: April, born in 1980, and Heather, born in 1983.

The family enjoyed many activities together. These included camping vacations, particularly at Bon Echo Provincial Park in eastern Ontario, and vacations in Trinidad & Tobago; Grenada; Abaco Island in the Bahamas; Banff, Alberta; Thornbury, Ontario; Margarita Island, Venezuela; and Sint Maarten.

Pansy and family also enjoyed spending time with Norman’s extended family at birthday parties, Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, Easter weekends, and other family events, in Mississauga, Bronte and Port Dover, Ontario.

In 2005 Pansy and Norman travelled to Australia to visit April and her future husband Simon Kitto in the Brisbane/Gold Coast area.

Pansy and Norman travelled to Australia again in December 2006 to attend April and Simon’s wedding on January 3, 2007.

In April 2007, Pansy was diagnosed with stage four metastatic colon cancer. She underwent two years of chemotherapy, followed by two major operations.

Pansy remained cheerful and optimistic throughout the period of her illness and continued to try to enjoy life to the fullest. During this time, Pansy and Norman went on vacations in Grenada, Sint Maarten (three times), Haliburton, Muskoka, Calabogie (eastern Ontario) and Thornbury. Pansy attended her nephew Lauchlin’s wedding in Peterborough in October 2010. As late as June 2011 she attended a surprise birthday party and a retirement party, taking her portable oxygen tank with her. On July 31 she was able to come downstairs for her son-in-law Simon’s birthday party.

Pansy also enjoyed attending the relaxation and Healing Journey sessions at Wellspring in during the last year of her life.

Pansy received excellent medical care from a vast array of skilled and caring medical personnel over the last four years – oncologists, surgeons, nurses, technicians, and support workers. Many thanks to all those who cared for Pansy at the Princess Margaret Hospital, to the palliative care doctors from the Temmy Latner Centre and nurses from the Community Care Access Centre who visited her in the home, and to the compassionate nurses at Toronto Grace Health Centre who tended to her needs in the last hours of her life. Many thanks also to the dedicated volunteers who drove Pansy to countless medical appointments.

After a long and courageous battle with cancer, Pansy passed away on August 20, 2011. Norman, April and Heather were at her bedside.

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