Obituary for Evelyn May Hoselton (Page)
Evelyn May Page Hoselton (1927-2023)
Evelyn Hoselton passed away on January 17, 2023 at Southlake Medical Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, just a parking lot away from her home of the last eleven years, the Roxborough Retirement Home. Surviving her are sisters-in-law Myrna (m. Cliff), Marg (m. Clarey), Maxine and Ralph, Jean and Jim; her children Stephen (m. Jacques), David (m. Brenda) and Anne (m. Rino); and her four grandchildren: Ben, Katie, Jack and Evelyn.
Born in Cobourg on June 3, 1927 -- at home at 117 James Street -- Evelyn was the second child of Lily Patterson and Joseph Page. In her own words: “I slept with my sister Ruth (her best friend) and we had our own radio which was kind of a luxury; we would go to bed early and listen to Lux Radio Theatre.” (More about radio, later.) Her first dog was named Buster Peter Waggles Page and her first movie was The Littlest Rebel starring Shirley Temple.
Evelyn met her husband John when they were in high school, at the Young People’s Dance at Cobourg’s St Peter’s Church. She said “It was like that song: ‘Some enchanted evening, you will find a stranger.’” Although there was an instant attraction, it wasn’t until three years, and a few boyfriends later, that they reconnected, this time for good. They were married on June 23, 1951, uniting the Pragmatic Pages and the Entrepreneurial Hoseltons. Their first joint endeavor was when all the sibs from both families joined forces to clean, paint, and make new curtains for brother Gord’s diner, The Golden Miller -- a task that required Evelyn’s first ever all-nighter. The next morning, she and John watched the sun come up, a new and delightful experience for this small-town girl.
But not small-town for long as the newlyweds soon pulled up stakes and headed for a new life in the Big Smoke (Toronto), just an hour from her birthplace but a huge shift in their lives. After welcoming their first son Stephen (’54), Evelyn found herself hosting a radio show – Down the Bunny Trail, wherein she would read children’s stories -- all written by John -- with her soothing, expressive voice. David appeared in ’58, but it wasn’t until the family moved to Sault Ste Marie in 1967 that the family was completed. At the age of forty, Evelyn was thrilled to welcome her wonderful little girl, Anne (her next best friend).
When people met Evelyn, they were taken with her sincere smile, radiant positivity and genuine kindness -- ‘sweetest person I ever met’ is a common descriptor. And while all of this was certainly true, what was often overlooked was the depth of her strength and determination. When John wanted to start investing in real estate, it was Eve’s measured advice and sound accounting skills that perfectly counterbalanced John’s ambitions and allowed their venture to flourish. When that afforded them the ability to travel, they took their family to Europe several times, always opting to do all the booking and driving themselves and Eve fearlessly took her family to see life behind the Iron Curtain. When the living hell of dementia slowly took away her sweetheart of seventy years, she cared for him as long as she could and then, when he no longer recognized her, she mourned him and transitioned into a life without him, with her remarkably positive attitude.
Sharp of mind right through her final days, she saw her body failing and knew that the end was nearing. Knowing that her quality of life would only diminish and preferring that any medical resources ‘go to younger people’, she chose MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) to bring her long life to an uncompromised end. It was a choice that surprised us and frankly, scared us at first. But once she explained it to us, it was clear to everyone that it was the right call for her. And so, at 95 (‘and a half’, she reminded us), surrounded by her loving children and their spouses, she gave us each a hug, told us she loved us, and peacefully drifted off to sleep one last time. In her death, she somehow managed to inspire us yet again, with the same qualities that defined her life: positivity, kindness, and most of all, her strength.
Yes, she was definitely sweet, but boy, she was also One Tough Chick.
Evelyn Hoselton passed away on January 17, 2023 at Southlake Medical Centre in Newmarket, Ontario, just a parking lot away from her home of the last eleven years, the Roxborough Retirement Home. Surviving her are sisters-in-law Myrna (m. Cliff), Marg (m. Clarey), Maxine and Ralph, Jean and Jim; her children Stephen (m. Jacques), David (m. Brenda) and Anne (m. Rino); and her four grandchildren: Ben, Katie, Jack and Evelyn.
Born in Cobourg on June 3, 1927 -- at home at 117 James Street -- Evelyn was the second child of Lily Patterson and Joseph Page. In her own words: “I slept with my sister Ruth (her best friend) and we had our own radio which was kind of a luxury; we would go to bed early and listen to Lux Radio Theatre.” (More about radio, later.) Her first dog was named Buster Peter Waggles Page and her first movie was The Littlest Rebel starring Shirley Temple.
Evelyn met her husband John when they were in high school, at the Young People’s Dance at Cobourg’s St Peter’s Church. She said “It was like that song: ‘Some enchanted evening, you will find a stranger.’” Although there was an instant attraction, it wasn’t until three years, and a few boyfriends later, that they reconnected, this time for good. They were married on June 23, 1951, uniting the Pragmatic Pages and the Entrepreneurial Hoseltons. Their first joint endeavor was when all the sibs from both families joined forces to clean, paint, and make new curtains for brother Gord’s diner, The Golden Miller -- a task that required Evelyn’s first ever all-nighter. The next morning, she and John watched the sun come up, a new and delightful experience for this small-town girl.
But not small-town for long as the newlyweds soon pulled up stakes and headed for a new life in the Big Smoke (Toronto), just an hour from her birthplace but a huge shift in their lives. After welcoming their first son Stephen (’54), Evelyn found herself hosting a radio show – Down the Bunny Trail, wherein she would read children’s stories -- all written by John -- with her soothing, expressive voice. David appeared in ’58, but it wasn’t until the family moved to Sault Ste Marie in 1967 that the family was completed. At the age of forty, Evelyn was thrilled to welcome her wonderful little girl, Anne (her next best friend).
When people met Evelyn, they were taken with her sincere smile, radiant positivity and genuine kindness -- ‘sweetest person I ever met’ is a common descriptor. And while all of this was certainly true, what was often overlooked was the depth of her strength and determination. When John wanted to start investing in real estate, it was Eve’s measured advice and sound accounting skills that perfectly counterbalanced John’s ambitions and allowed their venture to flourish. When that afforded them the ability to travel, they took their family to Europe several times, always opting to do all the booking and driving themselves and Eve fearlessly took her family to see life behind the Iron Curtain. When the living hell of dementia slowly took away her sweetheart of seventy years, she cared for him as long as she could and then, when he no longer recognized her, she mourned him and transitioned into a life without him, with her remarkably positive attitude.
Sharp of mind right through her final days, she saw her body failing and knew that the end was nearing. Knowing that her quality of life would only diminish and preferring that any medical resources ‘go to younger people’, she chose MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) to bring her long life to an uncompromised end. It was a choice that surprised us and frankly, scared us at first. But once she explained it to us, it was clear to everyone that it was the right call for her. And so, at 95 (‘and a half’, she reminded us), surrounded by her loving children and their spouses, she gave us each a hug, told us she loved us, and peacefully drifted off to sleep one last time. In her death, she somehow managed to inspire us yet again, with the same qualities that defined her life: positivity, kindness, and most of all, her strength.
Yes, she was definitely sweet, but boy, she was also One Tough Chick.