Jean Bernice Landers

LANDERS, Jean Bernice – Peacefully at the Tendercare Nursing Home on Friday, November 18, 2011 at the age of 77. Beloved wife of Raymond for 56 years. Loving mother of Karen Willert (John Anderson), Vicki McKinnon (Bob) and Brenda Dinsmore (Anthony Brunetta). Daughter of the late George and Irene Sidwell. Mother-in-law of the late Paul Willert and the late Delmar Marcil. Cherished grandmother of Katherine and Adam Marcil and Kelly and Leslie McKinnon. Dear sister of Lloyd Sidwell (Anna) and sister in law of the late Mae Taylor (Roy), Ken Landers (Edna), Ron Landers (Dorothy), Gerald Landers, late Dorothy Crew (Stew), late Jean Bishop (late Frank) and the late Doug Landers. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Friends may call at the Arthur Funeral Home & Cremation Centre on Monday, November 21, 2011 from 6 – 9 pm. Funeral service from Willowgrove United Church on Tuesday, November 22, 2011 at 10 am. Rev. Bruce McLeish officiating. Interment Greenwood Cemetery. Memorial donations to Willowgrove United Church, the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Society would be appreciated.

Jean Landers

“A funeral is not because someone died, but because they lived.”

I don’t know who first said that

But whoever it was

They were a person of great wisdom

And a deep understanding of the human condition.

And truly Jean lived

A wonderful life

Her life has touched so many

In so many ways.

Each of us is here today because

Our lives have been touched by hers

And it is that touching of life to life

Of spirit to spirit

That is such a precious experience for us.

And we will each remember Jean in our own way

We will remember and treasure the person she has been to us

The times we have shared with her

And the things of her character that have made her

Unforgettable.

To you, Jean’s family

I speak for us all when I say

Our hearts go out to you

And we offer you our love and support

Not just today

But in the time to come.

For all of you, her friends and neighbours

Who have shared life with her

May the memories you hold

Bring you comfort and ease the pain of loss.

Most of you have known her much longer than I have.

I met Jean just 14 years ago

When I came into the wonderful family of Willowgrove.

I will remember her at choir practice on Thursday evenings

At UCW events

Dinners and luncheons and coffee hours

(food is a big part of life here)

I will remember talking to her after services

About people she had concern for

And her kindness and dedication.

I wonder from time to time

How people became the people I have known

What moulds and shapes a life

With Jean, there are some important influences we can see.

Most of you know she was born and raised in Stratford

There and in the surrounding area

Her family and friends are still a big part of the community.

For many of us, it is our upbringing that shapes the person we become

Some years ago

A man whom I came to respect

Was near the end of his life

He spoke of his children

“you know, you plant potatoes, you get potatoes

You plant carrots, you get carrots.”

What he was saying is

We sow seeds,

And the seeds take root

And blossom into the plant they are to be come.

It starts with the sowing of the seeds.

Jean was rooted in a fine family,

And in the soil of a good solid community.

She was born during the depression,

But her family gave her a good start

And they set good standards for her

And as she grew,

She was guided by what her parents thought

Their values and wishes and expectations

Together became her moral compass.

She learned the importance of friends

And that good friends are a lifelong treasure.

You spoke of people who were important to her

Eileen Jeffries

And others

People she kept in touch with

And never failed to look up if she was near

And, as they say, the best way to have good friends

Is to be a good friend.

She learned lessons of care and compassion for anyone suffering

And would be there to reach out to people in need.

She learned the importance of a balanced life

Music

Sports…she was an athlete in her own right

Skating, volleyball swimming

And the importance of church in her life

She grew up singing in choirs

Joining CGIT and later was a junior leader.

In all, she learned what was really important in life

Social values…values of friends and family

Healthy life…staying active, and participating in sports

Healthy spiritual life…lived out through her church

Music…

For you, Ray, you shared with Jean 54 years of marriage

From the time you first met at the skating rink,

Eventually moving here

And building a life here

Raising a wonderful family

Sharing the joys of friendships

The cruise to Alaska with Ernie and Gladys

Marg and Jim Lake and several other couples

The new Years parties

Dancing together

And together making a home for your children

When we look at her legacy,

We see the seeds she, in her time, sowed

For you, her children

What a wonderful and healthy family to grow up in…

As Jean learned so well what is important in life

So she made sure you experience these values in yours…

Giving you such great experiences

Together joining the Y

Being exposed to the arts

The Stratford Festival

Ballet

Seeing Oscar Peterson

Learning to play Piano

And going to the library.

For each of us, we may ask from time to time

What will my life mean?

What legacy will I leave behind?

Will I leave this world a little better for my having been here?

We can look at Jean’s life

And see answers to those questions

May help us to see success in our own lives.

A favourite Bible verse for me

Micah…”I will tell you, O man what is good

And what does The Lord require of you

But to do justice, love kindness

And walk humbly with your God.”

For each of us, that may be lived out in many ways…

For Jean, it was as a wife and mother

A faithful and dedicated member of the church

Bringing her talents and her energies

And looking at the world with a kind of practical compassion.

Jesus said…Let not your hearts be troubled…”

Jean’s passing is a great loss

To her family and friends

To her church and her community

The Bible tells us that we don’t mourn as those without hope

Certainly we mourn.

And we ache at the passing of one with whom we share

Life and love

But we mourn, knowing that God has promised

That beyond this life

Beyond the world we see around us

There is another life

A life of peace and wellbeing

A place prepared for us.

And we hold the faith that where Jean is today

She is well,

And at perfect peace.

And the bond of love is not broken by her death.

Remember the promise

Remember Jean

And be thankful.

Words from the funeral service for Jean Landers by Rev. Bruce McLeish