Obituary of Lynne Ashworth
Lynne (nee Mowry) Ashworth
RN, BScN, MEd
Born August 20, 1937 in London, Ontario, the second child of Dr. Albert Earl Mowry and Sylvia Jessica Granger, Lynne died peacefully on February 18, 2023 at Providence Manor, Kingston, in her 86th year.
Education was an important part of Lynne’s life. As a teen, she attended the Bishop Strachan School in Toronto, and spent a summer in Switzerland on an immersive French language learning exchange, before earning her BScN from Western and training at the Montreal General Hospital School of Nursing, where she graduated at the top of her class.
Lynne married her life-long love, Michael Anthony (Tony) Ashworth, in 1961, upon his graduation from McGill Medical School. Following two years as the couple’s primary bread winner, teaching Nursing at the Montreal General Hospital, Lynne then worked in Boston’s Mount Auburn Hospital nursery until the arrival of daughters Cynthia and Katharine. After five years stateside, the family returned to Canada, settling in Kingston, where they were soon joined by youngest child, Elizabeth.
Lynne was a gifted and devoted parent, leading skiing and skating adventures on the frozen lake behind the family’s home in the winters, supervising the girls and their friends poolside in the summers, and keeping the many balls of family life in the air in between. She believed in and modeled the importance of experiencing the world; the six-week road trip across Canada and the States on which Lynne and Tony took the girls, as well as the month-long exploration of England, Scotland, and Wales, created enduring family memories (and more than a few laughs).
Lynne found personal fulfillment in professional pursuits. While raising the girls, she earned her MEd at Queen’s University, and taught Nursing at St. Lawrence College and Queen’s for many years. Later in her career, Lynne worked at the Hospital Medical Records Institute (HMRI) in Toronto, using her teaching background to roll out the Utilization Management Program across Canada, and embracing the opportunity to visit underserved areas of the country. When HMRI became the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Lynne was commissioned to manage the Ontario LTC Database.
With her kind heart, thoughtful nature and compassionate ear, Lynne made friends easily, and maintained lasting bonds. A gracious and fun-loving host, Lynne was well known for playing the piano by ear, to the delight of her frequent guests. She also made strong contributions to the community, serving as President of the Medical Wives Society, as an early liaison-advocate at the Federal Women’s Prison, and as a decades-long member of the Projects Group at St. George’s Cathedral. She lives on in the many dresses she smocked for the children of family and friends.
Upon her retirement, Lynne contentedly spent thirteen winters and summers with Tony at the Mont-Tremblant home they built together. She became friends with many in both the Franco and Anglo communities, and with the deer that visited her garden daily. In the off seasons, she and Tony enjoyed extended trips around the globe, to fully appreciate the places and people they encountered. There were also many visits to, and from, the girls and their partners, as well as her five adored and adoring grandkids.
Predeceased by her brother, Brian, Lynnie is survived and deeply missed by her husband, Tony, her sister Nan (Jack Halliday), her daughters Cynthia, Katharine (Michael Cochrane) and Liz (Shawn McClenny), as well as by her grandkids, Ellie, Ethan, Pippa, Thomas, and Grant.
Special thanks to Lynne’s personal caregivers, Vivian Gonzales, “Gwen” Dawat and Joselyn Barrera, as well as the wonderful staff on Montreal 5 at Providence Manor for making Lynne’s final months as comfortable as possible.
Cremation has taken place. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Lynne’s memory to UHKF - Providence Manor (Kingston) would be appreciated.
