Myrna Stait-Gardner

Myrna was born in Winnipeg in 1941 and moved to the Toronto area as a child. She spoke fondly of books, dogs, England, France, Branksome Hall, and the University of Toronto, her alma mater. Myrna studied at the Faculty of Dentistry and was the captain of the 1961 faculty cheerleading squad, proudly wearing the letter ‘D’ on her sweater. With her love of English literature, she soon returned to the university and this time earned a Bachelor of Arts degree.

Predeceased by her parents Lil and Jim. Myrna had two sons she loved dearly, Brent and Craig (Catharine), and her cherished husband of 61 years, Christopher, who was always on her mind. She greatly enjoyed spending time with her grandson Andrew. She also loved her dogs – Paddy, Bruce, Melody, Emma, Sophie and Penny – and donated for decades to dog charities. Myrna had a huge heart, a giving soul, and a mischievous sense of humour.

She enjoyed travel and had many enjoyable trips abroad, often with her university alumni group, headed by her English Professor, Dr. Isabelle Wilks. Myrna always felt at home in London, France and Italy and was an avid traveller, visiting all the continents. Her favourite city was Paris.

Myrna was an independent thinker. She lived by the George Orwell quotation “However much you deny the truth, the truth goes on existing.” She described herself as a realist. She was a long-time supporter of The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, especially during what she considered the festival’s golden years from 1966 to 2002, and an avid supporter of the arts. She was a 43-year member of the Thornhill Golf & Country Club. In her later years, Myrna became a snowbird, wintering in West Palm Beach, FL at the scenic Club at Ibis - a retirement lifestyle she very much enjoyed.

Myrna will always be dearly loved, respected, remembered and missed as a kind, strong person with a beautiful spirit. She was the heart of her family. Her family and friends will miss her greatly.

Thank you to Dr. Betty Rozendaal, ND, for caring for her in her final year, and to Jaclyn Heidman, her palliative care nurse consultant. Thanks to Dr. Kim McKenzie, ND and her acupuncturist and long time friend Dr. Gina Meng, D.O.M. for her long-term healthcare. Thank you also to Dr. Adam Fogel and Dr. Joshua Tepper for making her last weeks more comfortable.

A service of remembrance will be held at the Kane-Jerrett Funeral Home, 8088 Yonge St. in Thornhill on Wednesday July 9th, 2025 at 11am. For those inclined, donations can be made to The Seeing Eye dog charity in her name, a cause she believed strongly in.