CLOSE, Eleanor Jean (née Ruddick), passed away suddenly at the age of 89 on February 14, 2017.
A sadly poetic day to lose a woman who was so easy to love and so loved by many, an extraordinarily talented, gracious and beautiful lady. We can’t help but imagine Jean wanting to join her husband Bill for Valentine’s Day. Jean was born in Montréal, Québec and proudly shared her French Canadian and Scottish heritage. She delighted in travel, in cooking gourmet food and in reading. We remember her as a keeper of family history and a creative talent whose skills ran from decorating and sewing to watercolour paintings. She took pride in having gone back to school to study film. Jean’s sweet and thoughtful nature was apparent to all who crossed paths with her but we equally remember her fierce resolve, her intelligence, her wry humour and well-timed winks. She will be profoundly missed by her children Andrew (Helen) and Robert (Nancy), her grandchildren Justin, Jeff, Ellen, Heather and Patrick, her great-grandchild Maggie, nieces and nephews, and fond extended family. Jean was predeceased by husband Bill, beloved daughter Nicole and brothers Bruce and Donald. Her family holds on to our many memories of her as a wonderful and deeply caring wife, mother, aunt, grand- and great-grandmother, who truly enriched all of our lives. Please join us in remembrance for a service on Tuesday, February 21 at 11 am at the Dixon-Garland Funeral Home, 166 Main St N, Markham. Online condolences may be shared through http://dixongarland.com/. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Oxfam Canada : https://secure.oxfam.ca