Our cherished Patience passed away from brain cancer on April 9th, 2022.

Patience, an only child, spent her early years with her mother Hilda in Cornwall, England. Her father, William Sowden, was away in the Royal Air Force for many years. Patience’s earliest memories were of racing hand-in-hand with her Mama to bomb shelters when air raid sirens sounded. After the war, Patience and her parents lived in Cambridge, England where as a teenager she went to a dance and met a handsome and charming young man named Patrick.

Patience completed teacher training college in May 1958 and before her marks were posted she sailed on the RMS Ivernia to Montreal. As the ship pulled in, Patrick was on shore and with great joy they waved to each other and the first day of the rest of her life in Canada began.

Patience taught at various schools in Toronto and North Bay. Patrick and Patience then moved to Montreal and two daughters Jane and Caroline were born there in 1966 and 1972. After a brief return to England, they realized Canada was the place for them and settled in Mississauga where they have woven strands into the community fabric since 1974.

Once her daughters were both at school, Patience found her true professional calling: teaching adult classes of English as a Second Language. She loved meeting courageous people from a great variety of countries and backgrounds, and supporting students to learn the “crazy, illogical language” that is English. Her tight knit group of friends was formed at this time and for decades they gathered monthly to share each other’s joys and sorrows. They supported her to the very end.

Patience and Patrick were married for 63 years. Their Golden Wedding anniversary celebration saw them in sparkling health and they took their love of travel to its most distant expression with a trip to New Zealand. The family had beautifully expanded to include Caroline’s husband Ted Harrison and their children Eve & Erin Harrison and Jane’s children Pelly and Nora Vincent-Braun. Patience was a joyous grandmother.

Her daughters, Jane and Caroline, are deeply grateful for the stable home and unconditional love she provided through thousands of meals, letters, hugs, tears, scrapbooks, gifts, laughs and visits.

Patience showed tremendous grace as her illness progressed. One of her last sentences was “Please thank everyone for being so kind” and her last unprompted word was “Thank you.” A Celebration of her Life will be held Monday, April 25th, 2022 at St Bride’s Anglican Church, 1516 Clarkson Road North, Mississauga; 1pm greeting, 1:30pm service. Cremation has taken place.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Ian Anderson Hospice or St. Bride’s Anglican Church as we are so grateful for the care that both have provided during this difficult time.