Jeanne Marie (Henry) Evoy

Mom was born as Jeanne Marie Henry, on August 26, 1927 at home on the family farm in Bar River, Ontario, Canada. Her parents were John William Hugh (Hugh) Henry and Ellen Malena (Ella) Henry (née Becking), and shortly before mom was born they bought the farm in Bar River; and that is where mom was raised.

Mom had four siblings: an older brother, Jack; two older sisters, Marg and Elinor; and a younger brother Tom. Her recollections of childhood and life on the farm were invariably happy and, in her later years, each time we would drive past Bar River she would point out the family farm and that ever present smile of hers would seem to brighten, as if that were possible. And every time we'd drive across the Bar River on Government Road she'd recall how she and Elinor would cross: two daredevils, balancing on the railings of the old bridge.

Mom's dad, Hugh, passed away in 1960; her mom, Ella, passed away in 1978; Jack passed in 1985; Marg in 2015; and Elinor in 2016.

From very early on, perhaps from birth, Mom was known as Marie. As a young girl, Mom attended Bluff School, the Bar River Presbyterian Church, and was a member of the Women's Institute of the Ontario Department of Agriculture. Early achievements included wins at the Laird Fair (which she recapitulated after retirement with her flower arrangements and her famous chokecherry jelly).

She attended and graduated from Sault Collegiate. This necessitated boarding in the Soo, and she earned her room and board there by living with, and babysitting, the Carmichael boys - apparently quite the handful! During this period she had some rounds of ear surgery in Toronto that resulted in her missing extended periods of school. Because of this, she required two years to complete grade twelve; but still graduated from grade 13 in 1945, when she was 17.

Mom subsequently earned her Diploma in Physical Therapy from the University of Toronto, in 1949. She sustained lifelong friendships with many of her university classmates - Betty Draycott, Betty McVittie, Syd McDougall, Betty Carpenter, and others.

Immediately after graduating Mom attended specialized training in the treatment of children with cerebral palsy, in Los Angeles, and then returned to Canada to work for the Department of Public Health of the Province of Saskatchewan, establishing clinics in Regina and Saskatoon that specialised in training parents for the home care of children with cerebral palsy. Then, in January 1951 she moved to Kingston, Ontario, as sole charge physiotherapist at St. Mary's-of-the-Lake, a chronic care hospital there. She returned to Regina in July of that year to conduct four months of training for physiotherapists and parents who had care of children with cerebral palsy, after which she returned to Kingston and worked, again, as sole charge physiotherapist, this time at Hotel Dieu. In 1952 the polio epidemic was underway and, in July, Mom went to Calgary, working there at the Red Cross Hospital until the end of the year. In September of 1953, at the peak of the epidemic, Mom began working with children with polio, and at an outpatient clinic for children with cerebral palsy, at the Kingston General Hospital. And she worked there until June of 1954.

During this period, on September 18, 1951 Jeanne Marie Henry exchanged wedding vows with Ernest Franklin Evoy at the MacIntosh Community Hall in Bar River, Ontario, and Mom, Marie Henry, became Marie Evoy.

Mom quit working as a physiotherapist in June 1954 with the birth of her first child, Kathleen Marie Evoy in early July of that year. Dad was working at mineral prospecting in a remote bush location and so Kathy was born in Sault Ste Marie. By the time Derek Franklin Evoy was born, in January 1956, the family were living in the small mining town of Gunnar, in the far north of Saskatchewan. After briefly relocating to Madison, Wisconsin, where Dad did his PhD, they returned to Gunnar and Richard Wendell Evoy was born there in April 1961. When the mine closed, the family moved to Vancouver for a few years, and then to New York, where Dad joined the United Nations: during that time Jennifer Claire Evoy was born (on a planned visit to Sault Ste Marie) in October 1965.

While Jennie was still an infant the ever-itinerant family moved to Darwin, Australia for a couple years, followed by moves to Denver, Colorado, then to Sydney, Australia, then to Vancouver, then Toronto, and finally, back to the roots, to Sault Ste Marie and the Bar River area.

Mom and Dad separated in 1973, and Mom returned to work as a physiotherapist, having completed an upgrade program in 1971 at the School of Physiotherapy while in Sydney. She worked first in Vancouver, then in Toronto, and finished her career in Sault Ste Marie, where she was employed for various service organisations and finished her career as Director of Rehab Medicine at the Sault Ste Marie General Hospital.

In 1982, Mom bought a waterfront property on Finn's Bay Road, between Echo Bay and St. Joe's Island, and built a house there in 1984. That house and its gardens and waterfront were to become the delight of the rest of her life. Jennie lived with her there until her marriage to Nick in 1995. And throughout Mom's time there the house was well lived in and visited by the growing brood of grandchildren she made welcome there (along with their parents).

Mom ended up with seven grandchildren: six granddaughters and one grandson. Janet was the first to arrive, in 1986. Oriana followed in 1989. Justine and Erin were both born, a month apart, in 1993, and Kharis arrived shortly thereafter, in 1994. Kate was next, in 1999, and Connor broke the streak of only girls when he came along in 2002. And pretty much every year there were a number of grandchildren visiting.

Mom always enjoyed traveling with her siblings and her friends and managed overseas vacations every second year or so, chalking up many vacations in South East Asia, the Americas, and Europe. When she retired she continued her occasional travels overseas, visiting Greece a second time in 2001, this time with her brother Tom and sister's-in-law Bonnie and Marian; but, over time, these became less frequent as she was wanting to be available for her grandchildren. She did, however, continue to visit Calgary often, to see her grandchildren (and their parents!) there. Her last overseas trip was to Egypt in March of 2008, accompanying Derek, Oriana, Justine and Kharis on a visit to the pyramids at Giza and a cruise down the Nile. And her last trip to Calgary was for Christmas, 2018.

In 2014 Mom sold her beloved place on the water and moved into Pathways Retirement Residence. She had wintered there, and at other venues in the Soo, including occasionally with her sister Marg, in prior years; but now decided it was time to move there permanently. She was 86 years old then, and no longer driving; and living out on the waterfront was becoming too much work. Needless-to-say she thrived at Pathways in the company of other bridge and cribbage playing residents. Her dear sister-in-law, Rilla, moved in as well (and later siter-in-law Madge) and she enjoyed spending time with her centenarian friend Betty.

But this chronology of Mom's life doesn't capture the person she was. Her favorite pursuits were gardening and walking in nature; and she enjoyed all manner of card games - she was very good at bridge, but was a wizard at cribbage. Recreational sports included occasional rounds of golf and, in winter months, curling. And although she was allergic to dog dander, she almost always had dogs as cherished pets: her last pet, an especial favourite, was Coco, a miniature poodle. She was a decent cook, with her traditions and dishes for special occasions, but cooking was never a passion of hers, although somehow her children all seem to enjoy it. And she was an avid reader with a great library, primarily of fiction. She read the canon of classics, but took particular delight in Canadian authors and, when living in Darwin and Sydney, read widely in Australian literature. Her love of reading is a gift she handed down to all of her children. And for most of her life, before her hearing loss became too acute in her last few years, Mom loved and listened to music. Her musical tastes were diverse, and ranged from classical to pop. She never played a musical instrument herself, but encouraged that in her children. And Mom loved conversation and the discussion of ideas. Dinners were often times for enthusiastic and energetic, and sometimes exhausting, exegesis!

But, again, this litany of Mom's hobbies and interests still doesn't capture the wonderful person that she was. Her life-long, perpetual smile was her hallmark. Everyone knew her for that. It pretty much defined her. It reflected her outlook on life; her generosity of spirit; her belief in others; her intelligent curiosity; her basic happiness; and her selfless joy in the happiness of others.

Mom passed away on March 5, 2022 at ARCH Hospice in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. She suffered a series of small and larger strokes, and finally passed away peacefully in her sleep. She is survived by her children, Kathy, Derek (Heather), Richard (Susan) and Jennie (Nick); her grandchildren Janet (Matt), Oriana, Justine (Matt), Erin, Kharis, Kate, and Connor; her great grandchildren Kyro and Emmett; and her brother Tom (Bonnie). A celebration of life was held at Arthur's Funeral Home in Sault Ste Marie on March 13, 2022. Her ashes were laid to rest in Sylvan Valley Cemetery.

Mom's Obituary:

EVOY, J. Marie nee Henry - (August 26,1927-March 6, 2022) -Mom died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, March 6th, 2022. She was 94.

Blessed with fierce independence, a sunny disposition and endless patience she was a wonderful Mom to Kathleen, Derek (Heather), Richard (Susan) and Jennifer (Nick). Proud and fun-loving Grandma to Janet Lee-Evoy (Matt), Oriana Evoy, Justine Kennett (Matt), Kharis Evoy, Erin Evoy, Kate Evoy, and Connor Hooymans, and Great Grandma to Kyro.

Dear sister and sister-in-law to Tom Henry (Bonnie) and Marian Henry, and predeceased by siblings Jack Henry, Margaret Brownlee (Bill), and Elinor Smith (Ward).

Mom was born in Bar River, Ontario to Hugh and Ella Henry and enjoyed a happy childhood on the farm. She graduated from the University of Toronto in physiotherapy in 1949. Before raising her family, Mom specialized in the treatment of children born with Cerebral Palsy - opening clinics in Regina and Saskatoon - and then worked with children in Calgary and Kingston during the polio epidemic.

After raising her family and while living in Australia, Mom re-entered physiotherapy and worked in many different settings as we moved ...in Australia, Vancouver, Toronto and eventually Sault Ste. Marie where she was department head of Rehabilitation at the General Hospital before she retired.

Mom built her dream home for family gatherings on Finn's Bay Road in 1983 where so many wonderful memories were made. She continued to travel and have fun with her siblings and friends. Mom truly loved and lived life to the fullest. We will miss her big smile. We will miss her always.

Family and friends may visit at Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St.E. 705-759-2522) on Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 2-4 pm. (Masks Mandatory). Cremation with interment Sylvan Valley Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions to Easter Seals Society (payable by cheque or online) or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Evoy family.

Derek's thoughts prepared for Mom’s Celebration of Life:

I’d like to say a few words about my mom.

The last few years have been challenging. My mom’s deafness became absolute and she was becoming a bit confused. And Covid just amplified these isolating factors. But, even so, she was smiling and interested right to the end.

I don’t need to repeat her obituary – she had a fascinating life as an independent woman and then as a wife and mother raising a family and traveling all over the world. And in her final decades she continued her travels with friends and with her siblings and she was the most wonderful grandmother – providing many lifetimes’ worth of happy memories for her seven grandchildren. I really wish she had stayed around long enough to meet her great-grandchildren – Kyro, who is with us today, and Baby Kennett, who will be along in the next few weeks. She was certainly aware of them. And some of her greatest recent smiles came from knowing they were coming.

She was equally at home on the farm, in mining towns, in small outposts like Darwin, and in some of the great cities of the world: Toronto, Los Angeles, Vancouver, New York, Denver, Sydney…And she met many great Canadians along the way: Tommy Douglas and A.Y. Jackson to name but two.

She had compromised hearing all her life, but still loved all forms of music – Opera and Tom Jones come to mind. The first time she met Heather it came up that she had seen Tom Jones perform in Las Vegas. To my horror and embarrassment Heather asked if she had thrown her panties on the stage. My mother shook her head and said, a little too wistfully for my liking, “No, I couldn’t. Frank was there”.

She was also a voracious reader and especially liked Canadian authors she knew from her days at University of Toronto – and here James Reaney and Robertson Davies come to mind.

Her many activities included curling and golfing, and she was a world class card shark. I don’t think anyone could count a cribbage hand faster than she.

Although she was loving and kind, she came across as quite the stoic. A repeated favourite memory of her father was when a horse crushed his foot and he said “damn you Bessy” and it was the only time she heard him swear. She really admired emotional restraint.

But, for all that, she was entirely joyous! You can see her perpetual smile in every photo. And everyone remembers that smile. It almost defined her look! But so did hyper-activity! No wonder she loved hummingbirds so much! At her beautiful place on the lake she would literally hop from stone to stone naming all the flowers in her garden. And until the very end she was the fastest walker I’ve ever known. And even in the halls of Pathways she would whisk past people and furniture at lighting speed, absent-mindedly knocking the unwary out of her way.

Quite the character. We will all miss her.

Thank you all for being here.

* * * * * * * * * *

EVOY, J. Marie nee Henry - (August 26,1927-March 6, 2022) -Mom died peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, March 6th, 2022. She was 94.

Blessed with fierce independence, a sunny disposition and endless patience she was a wonderful Mom to Kathleen, Derek (Heather), Richard (Susan) and Jennifer (Nick). Proud and fun-loving Grandma to Janet Lee-Evoy (Matt), Oriana Evoy, Justine Kennett (Matt), Kharis Evoy, Erin Evoy, Kate Evoy, and Connor Hooymans, and Great Grandma to Kyro.

Dear sister and sister-in-law to Tom Henry (Bonnie) and Marian Henry, and predeceased by siblings Jack Henry, Margaret Brownlee (Bill), and Elinor Smith (Ward).

Mom was born in Bar River, Ontario to Hugh and Ella Henry and enjoyed a happy childhood on the farm. She graduated from the University of Toronto in physiotherapy in 1949. Before raising her family, Mom specialized in the treatment of children born with Cerebral Palsy - opening clinics in Regina and Saskatoon - and then worked with children in Calgary and Kingston during the polio epidemic.

After raising her family and while living in Australia, Mom re-entered physiotherapy and worked in many different settings as we moved ...in Australia, Vancouver, Toronto and eventually Sault Ste. Marie where she was department head of Rehabilitation at the General Hospital before she retired.

Mom built her dream home for family gatherings on Finn's Bay Road in 1983 where so many wonderful memories were made. She continued to travel and have fun with her siblings and friends. Mom truly loved and lived life to the fullest. We will miss her big smile. We will miss her always.

Family and friends may visit at Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St.E. 705-759-2522) on Sunday, March 13, 2022 from 2-4 pm. (Masks Mandatory). Cremation with interment Sylvan Valley Cemetery at a later date. Memorial contributions to Easter Seals Society (payable by cheque or online) or a charity of your choice would be appreciated.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.arthurfuneralhome.com for the Evoy family.