After a brief illness and with family by her side, Anne Griffin (nee Heitzner) passed into God’s hands on January 7, 2021. Cherished and adored wife of William (Bill) and treasured mother to her six children: Michele (Frank), John (Nancy), Joe (Karleen), Jacquie, Cathy (Doug) and Colleen (Cam). Anne was “Granny” to her eleven grandchildren (Michael, Ryan, Matthew, Shawna, Connor, Katlyn, Kathleen, Quinn, Keighan, Rebecca and Maeve) and a special “Great Granny” to Zayah. She was also a loving aunt to her eighteen nieces and nephews. Anne was born to parents Frank and Anne in the living room of their home on December 6, 1933, in the small village of Brechin, Ontario. There, she lived and worked happily with her five, predeceased, older siblings (Theresa, Mary, Frank, Joe and Cyril) on the family farm. When she graduated high school, she followed in her mother and sisters’ footsteps, enrolling in Teachers College. She began her teaching career at St. John’s Catholic School in Toronto at the young age of twenty. It was while she was in Toronto that she met the true love of her life, Bill, a young Chartered Accountant, whom she married in 1958. They began raising a family and eventually settled in Scarborough where they lived (in the same house!) for 60 years. After two decades as a stay-at-home-mom, Anne returned to teaching, this time at St. Rose of Lima Catholic School. Here, she lovingly influenced the lives of countless students with her gentle nature and profound faith. A natural teacher, she was loved by students and staff alike.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at Providence Healthcare for the kindness and compassion they have shown especially through such a challenging year.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Parkinson’s Canada www.parkinson.ca
A funeral service will be held on Tuesday, January 12, 2021 at St. Andrew’s Catholic Church in Brechin, Ontario (the church where Anne was baptized and married) immediately followed by an internment. Due to Covid-19 restrictions both ceremonies will be for the immediate family only.
The family will hold a Celebration of Anne’s Life at a future date.
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