Following Mom's move to Chartwell Aurora, the long term care residence, our family gathered at Mom's Chartwell Valley Vista apartment to move things to storage that Mom might need in future and to divide the rest among the family. Evelyn (my sister in law) had already agreed to work on the Robson family history prior to Mom's death and they took all relevant papers and photo's with them.
As Ev was sorting through volumes of information, she discovered a poem that Mom had written, a poem we did not know existed. Ev read the poem at the beginning of the funeral service and gave Mom the most wonderful tribute to her life of service to the family and the community.
As Ev was sorting through volumes of information, she discovered a poem that Mom had written, a poem we did not know existed. Ev read the poem at the beginning of the funeral service and gave Mom the most wonderful tribute to her life of service to the family and the community.
Lorna's Story
The year 1919 had arrived,
And peace from war was here
Sam & Eve had welcomed too,
A baby - number three
The family came quite quickly
A year and a half apart.
Norena May and Charlie came
And won their parents hearts.
Lorna Jo then followed
No blond hair did she have.
But brown hair short and chubby
She looked a lot like Dad.
At five I was reciting
At local events around.
My mother made me pretty clothes,
In which I could expound.
I didn't grow too quickly
My health was not the best.
But finally at the age of seven,
Bala School put me to the test.
School choir was another love
Our teacher was the best.
Duets with Joe, in fancy clothes,
Our songs helped us do our best.
I dreamed of being a teacher
School was not too hard for me.
Because of health and finances,
The dream was not to be.
Depression days were difficult
Factory work the best you'd get.
So making radios, clocks and hats,
Helped my family pay the rent.
Music was important in our house
Sunday afternoon could be
a concert all in harmony
Which ended up in glee.
Norena met a young man
His name was Leonard Hughes.
He was a guitar playing singing cowboy,
Who loved to sing the blues.
Norena learned Hawaiian (note: Hawaiian guitar)
And I could play the uke.
With lots of practice, we finally were
accepted in Len's group.
The MacKay Trio was our title
Len and I sang great.
We put on many concerts,
From Owen Sound down to the lake.
In april 1938
My life was changed a lot.
I went to work at Teston Store
To help my dear Grandpop.
He was scheduled for surgery
And Grandma wasn't well
As I wasn't working at the time
I volunteered to help
I met a lot of country folk
Jean Robson was the first to meet
We soon became good friends
She worked just down the street.
Along came her brother Charlie
With Jean's best friend in tow
They planned an evening fishing
So bought some food to go.
Charlie and I just seemed to click
Almost from the very start.
And visits to the Robson farm
Soon won this city girl's heart
Two weeks ran into six months,
Time spent in Teston town
The love bug kept on biting
But back to work to stop my Daddy's frown
Three years we courted back and forth
Roy & Jean our bosom friends
Not much money to toss about
But fun and friends right to the end.
We finally wed in '41
In my birthplace on MacKay.
Thirty-two friends and family
On a beautiful sunny day.
Our honeymoon was short and sweet
A weekend around Lake Simcoe.
Thunderstorms cold, then sunshine,
But our love just overflowed.
Our life together was a happy one
Sixty years a record for most, we guess
A few rough times in later years
But oh God's blessings and tests.
March 2, 2002, Charlie left my side
Quick and peaceful after sad good-byes.
But at St. Paul's that sunny day,
We felt his spirit rise.
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We can only assume that Mom wrote this shortly after Dad passed away and we'll never know if she had more she would have added. It's perfect as it is, and a wonderful discovery among all the memories Mom collected.
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| Traditional portrait at age 19 |
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| A photographer snaps Mom walking to work in downtown Toronto - age 19 |
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| Our family visiting Mom's parents - 1950's |
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| Annual Christmas photo with almost everyone in attendance |
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| Tiny Mom beside her best friend Agnes, Agnes' daughters (left to right) Joyce, Marlene and Lorraine and their cousin Ruthe (to my right), my friend since we were five |
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| Always game to take on a challenge and to prove to me that she was braver than me...and she definitely proved that! |
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| Bob and my family at Mom's 90th |
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| Wayne, Jan and me at Mom's 90th |
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| Straight as can be and having a blast at her 90th. The crowd filled the large room at The Gables of Kleinburg |
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| Always thrilled to be in the presence of children |
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| Our grandaughter Shanelle |
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| Mom gets to hold her great-grandaughter (our youngest grandchild) Avery for the first time |
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| May 2015 with caregiver Henry, Rachel and Peter |
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| Competing in, and winning, the annual Christmas photo competition |
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| Alien eyes helping Mom drive our car |
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| June 2015 - Loving her ice cream at the Mill Pond, Richmond Hill |
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| Another Christmas photo competition - another win! |
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| Mom always loved to cook, and to eat! |
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| Mom's only remaining cousin Ruth and her son David, at Mom's 95th birthday bash |
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| Mom loved the manicures and makeup |
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| Even in hospital, Mom's makeup had to be applied |
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| Taken at Valley Vista, not long before she became ill and entered hospital for the last time. |
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| Celebrating Mom's 97th birthday, January 2016 |
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| Mom's birthday cupcake with Ev, a private caregiver, Bob and Wayne |
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| Mom adored her friend and caregiver Susanne |
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| The last photo of Mom with her wonderful caregivers Omid and Sara at Chartwell Aurora |
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| Dad and Mom's grave. I took Mom there in May 2015 for her second last visit |
A couple of weeks after Mom passed, we were about to leave the marina and ride our bikes to our community garden plot in Penetanguishene when two Mourning Doves landed right beside my foot. Without thinking I said "Hi Mom and Dad". They toddled about for a minute, then off they flew. We were amazed because we had never seen them come this close to humans. It was Bob and my little joke. Two weeks after that, we were at anchor in a bay at a little island in The North Channel, sitting on the bow of the boat waiting for the sunset, as we do every evening. We heard twittering, wings fluttering, and a Mourning Dove landed right beside us on our life ring. Bob exclaimed, "Here's your Mom!". The dove stayed long enough for me to take this photo and to provide us with a sense of total peace.
The funeral was a happy event. Grandchildren Brian, Steve, Kevin and Rachel spoke and Bob read my words for me. We are so blessed to have had this Dad and Mom, these strong loving and principled icons, in our lives for so long. They gave us such a sound foundation to build on and none of their off-spring has ever let them down. Thank you! Forever in our memories and our hearts. There are no better words than the following poem as a tribute to Mom, read by Rachel at the funeral.
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| Prior to Mom's passing, we gave this painting of a tree with falling leaves to Valley Vista, as as thanks for the wonderful care they gave Mom for the 6 years she lived there. Our daughter Rachel is the artist, and she called it "Stay With Me" |
ON THE DEATH OF THE BELOVED - John O'Donohue
Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.
Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.
The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.
Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.
Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.
We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.
Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything
To which we bring our best refinement.
Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.
When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.
May you continue to inspire us:
To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.
