Gwendolyn Lou Whitehead

Our beloved mother and grandmother, Gwendolyn L. Whitehead, 90, of Wheatley, Ontario Canada, passed away March 14, 2019, with her family by her side. Gwen was born on February 6, 1929 to parents Glenn Augustus Foster and Nora Ellen Cobley.   After attending  teaching college and graduating with certifications to teach elementary school, she taught in a one room school house in Wheatley. After a few years, she moved to Niagara Falls to teach and met her future husband, Kenneth Whitehead, at a YMCA dance. They dated for three years and married on July 20, 1957 in Niagara Falls in a small ceremony surrounded by family and friends.  The couple stayed in Niagara Falls for only a year after their marriage when the town was hit with a long winter leading them to decide that they would move to a much warmer climate in California. They decided to move to Fullerton, California because of its lively downtown area and close vicinity to larger cities in Orange County. Not long after their move to Fullerton, Kendra was born, followed by Patrice and Jonathan. When she wasn’t busy with all the children’s activities and lessons, she volunteered at school, led PTA meetings and became an active member of Morningside Presbyterian Church. She served on the Board of Deacons, sang in the choir and directed the children’s choir for years.  Not long after Kenneth retired, their first grandchild arrived.  The two happy grandparents added three more grandchildren and watched them full time, taking them to piano lessons and attending all of their events and activities. She continued to lead the children’s choir, taught Sunday School and was always lending a hand to the church’s Children’s Center.  Two more grandchildren came along, and they were lucky enough to move in with her in the original house Kenneth and Gwen moved into back in the 1960’s. She cared for her husband until his death in 2007, and she is survived by her children, son Jonathan and daughters Kendra and Patrice, and grandchildren Kylie and Kenneth Marshall, Alayne Avila, Emily Sklencar and Nainoa and Kaileo Whitehead.

Although Gwen became a US citizen years ago, she remained a Canadian at heart. Yearly trips back to see family and friends were one of the highlights of the past few years. She is in our hearts and lives on in every memory we have of her. We miss her every day, but draw inspiration from her strength and never ending love for family and friends.