JEAN GAY EVANS Died peacefully at home on June 15, 2021. Born March 18, 1930, in Quebec City, the daughter of Willa Florence Blanche Price and John Grant Glassco. She was predeceased by her sister June Moore, and brothers Dick Glassco and Bill Glassco. Gay grew up in Toronto and after graduating from Forest Hill Collegiate, she became a registered nurse at the Hospital for Sick Children. It was there she met John Robert Evans, to whom she was married for 61 years prior to his passing in February 2015. Gay leaves behind 6 children (spouses): Derek (Janet); Mark; Michael (Lise); Gill (David); Tim (Alayne); and Willa; and 23 grandchildren: Chris, Zoe , David, Matthew, Stephanie, Michael, Jonathan, Alex, Nik, Grant, Kris, Imogen, Henry, Celia, Ava, Michael, Evan, Nick, Dylan, Emma, Theo, Charlotte, and Rhya; and 4 great grandchildren: John, Leo, Max and Rory. Gay, as described by her husband John, was “a woman who had the most incredible sense of joy and spontaneous happiness, an effervescence that brightened life for all around her”. She had an electric energy that brought any gathering, room or dance floor to life with laughter, warmth and happiness. Gay was a compassionate caregiver who founded “Interlink”, a pioneering palliative care service that aimed to preserve the comfort and dignity of patients at home. She volunteered for years at the Princess Margaret Hospital where she accompanied patients and their families through the travails of uncertainty, anxiety and sorrow in the management of terminal cancer. Her virtues found expression in a lifelong commitment to generous and unselfish deeds that made other people’s lives better no matter how difficult their circumstances. Gay’s children would like to recognize an incredible home care team led by Graciela Guercio with support from Meizel Pacanas, Marjane Del Amen, Ayla Esperanzate, Ming and Erma De Fiesta — along with Dr. Melissa Melnitzer and team from the Temmy Latner Centre for Palliative Care. In Gay’s memory donations made in lieu of flowers would be gratefully appreciated to either Jack.org or the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. A Celebration of Life will be organized in the future when loved one’s can gather safely.
Published in The Globe and Mail from Jun. 18 to Jun. 22, 2021.