Kathy passed away peacefully on April 5, 2025, surrounded by her loving family. She will be dearly missed by her devoted husband of 60 years, Rea; and her children Beth (David), Drew, Kelly (Marc) and Laurie (Mario).
Kathy was the proud grandmother to Cameron, Lindsay, Myra, Kyla, Adrian, Maddie, Jordan and Lily - and she will be lovingly remembered by them. She will also be missed by her sister Susan Shaw (Winston), her sister-in-law Ruth Davidson (John), her nephews and nieces, and her many wonderful friends, especially Jeanette MacDonald, whose weekly visits were a great comfort. Kathy was predeceased by her parents Margaret and Francis Rowland Shaw, and her sister Margaret Anne Bird.
Kathy trained to become a nurse at the Montreal General Hospital where she was part of the class of 1964, and her classmates became her lifelong friends. She then went on to earn her Master’s Degree in Education at McGill University and taught nursing at Vanier College. She was a dedicated and hard-working teacher and she cared deeply about her students’ success and her patients’ care.
Kathy’s happiest times were with her family at the cottage - swimming, fishing, eating ice-cream and singing around the campfire. She was an energetic optimist and never gave up, no matter what challenges lay ahead. Even in difficult times, she would always be grateful for her many blessings and could be heard saying ‘aren’t we lucky’.
Visitation will be held at 1pm, with a funeral service at 2pm, on April 13, 2025 at Royal York Road United Church in Etobicoke. There will be a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the EcoMuseum in Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec at https://zooecomuseum.ca/en/contribute-to-the-cause/.
The family would like to thank the staff at Humber Heights long term care home for their kindness and care.