Jean Ellen Irene Crossland (née Merritt)
June 9, 1924 – September 7, 2015

Jean departed this life as she lived it, gently with wit, humour, grace and humility. She is predeceased by her husband of 67 years, Ernest (Ernie) Ford Crossland and leaves behind a life time of wonderful and often comical memories for her seven children, Sandy (Tom Milakovic), Sue (Al Collins), Jude (Ed Roman), Jim (Pat née Barker), Peg (Wayne Brightwell), Linda (Bob Wilbur) and Bill (Jaye Robinson), 15 grandchildren and 12 great grandchildren.

She was born in Toronto to Roland and Gladys Merritt (née Moore) and was a caring sister to Robert (deceased), Ria (Laskarin), Patricia (Armstrong) and Eleanor (Hart). She grew up on Durie Street, graduated from Western Technical and Commercial High School and worked briefly for Maple Leaf Foods.

In 1945 she met and married Ernie, the love of her life, and for the next 67 years found her true vocation as a devoted mother of seven and the very busy wife of a farmer. The big farm kitchen with its long pine table was the heart of family and farm. Jean presided there as the gracious hostess and provider for a steady stream of family, friends, farm workers and the odd orphaned lamb bleating in the corner for a bottle of milk. With a family of nine, and sundry others regularly joining, Jean often never knew how many were sharing the meal until she finally sat down, but it was always a warm and welcoming table with enough for all. Her vegetable garden was renowned for size and productivity generating a never ending bounty of raspberries, beans, zucchinis and tomatoes providing the foundation for thousands of home cooked meals. Her garden also filled a fruit cellar with every type of preserve imaginable and sparkling jars lined the walls from floor to ceiling. She loved bridge and was one of a group of dear friends who played together for over 50 years. She was also a dedicated volunteer at a number of community organizations most notably the Southlake Regional Health Centre Whipper Billy Watson Therapeutic Pool where she contributed her time weekly for over 25 years.

She took up synchronized swimming in her 60s, once farm and family life slowed down. She found time to become an avid tole painter, and also began spinning her own wool to knit sweaters for everyone in the family.

Above all else she was a wonderful, kind, caring, supportive and patient mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, always providing a warm home and refuge to family.

Our heartfelt gratitude to Cadina Meadus, Jean’s private angel who cared for her for the last few years with love, music and a sense of fun. And our sincere thanks to all the staff of Eagle Terrace who provided her with a home and comfort for the last four years, notably Gwen and Cheryl who provided her with exceptional care and compassion especially in her final days.

A Celebration of Life will be held at Roadhouse & Rose Funeral Home, Playter Chapel, 157 Main Street, Newmarket, Ontario at 1 PM, Sunday, September 20, 2015. In honour of her long history of awareness of the importance of the environment and especially her passion, no her insistence, to reduce and reuse long before anyone had heard of the 3Rs, donations can be made in her memory to the Crossland Environmental Foundation in support of the Jean and Ernie Environmental Scholarship Fund (www.crosslandenvironmentalfoundation.org).

“God could not be everywhere and therefore he invented mothers”: Rudyard Kipling

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