Mary Jane Geddes died in Mississauga on Christmas Day 2021 at the age of 89. She leaves three daughters, Andrea, Janine, and Erica (husband Brett) and three grandchildren, Geoffrey, Gaelan, and Sabrina.
Mary Jane was passionate about her many wonderful friends, synchronized swimming, the Clarkson French Club, cats, the cottage in Muskoka, Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church, Scotland and Scottish country dancing, wearing purple, music, and travelling. She was fluent in French and spoke German, Esperanto and Spanish, inspiring her daughters to learn languages and to correct their own grammar.
MJ was born in London, Ontario and moved with her parents, Rachel and Thomas Thomson, to Mimico (Toronto). She first saw Jim Geddes cutting grass across the street in Alderwood, married him in 1955, and moved to Clarkson (Mississauga).
She was a ground-breaker who worked at a time when it was not common for women to do so. After graduating from the University of Toronto, she worked at Pan Am Airlines. After her girls were old enough, she completed a translation diploma and taught French at U of T (Erindale), a job she loved.
We thank the staff at Walden Circle Retirement and Sunrise of Erin Mills, and the personal caregivers who looked after her so well in her later years.
You can shed tears when she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes
and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
You can cry and close your mind,
be empty, turn your back
or you can do what she'd want…
smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
-David Harkins
A celebration of life will be held on:
Saturday, May 28th, 2022 at 2:00
Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church
1338 Clarkson Road North
Mississauga, ON L5J 2W5
With time to meet in the church hall after.
Donations are welcomed for Clarkson Road Presbyterian Church or Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF).