Obituary of Eda Usher

USHER, Eda Peacefully, on January 8, 2017, our Mum, Grandma, Great-Grandma, passed away in Kingston, ON. Edie Usher was born on December 7, 1924 to Maurice and Eda Beal in Sheffield, UK. Mum, as a teenager during WWII in the UK, worked at the Rolls Royce factory on aircraft engines to assist in the war effort. She was married to Leslie Usher in 1944 and they spent the next 8 years in the UK. In 1952, they made the momentous decision to immigrate to Canada, which offered so much in the way of opportunities for their growing family. Following Leslie (who had arrived 6 months prior), our brave Mum travelled alone via ocean-liner (through rough seas with seasick children) and then by train from Quebec City with 3 small daughters in tow to Oshawa. Four years later, the family was completed with the birth of Stephen. Edie was the consummate stay-at-home Mum. She made the best Roast Beef and Yorkshire pudding, butter tarts, Christmas pudding and shortbread and a myriad of other recipes, but specifically, baking was her forte. Though we didn’t have much, Mum made sure we had a clean home and clothes and we always had joyous celebrations of birthdays and Christmas. She pursued ongoing life-long learning through her voracious reading. Libraries were well-supported with regular visits and often 6-7 books a week were borrowed. Even to the end, Mum had a well-informed view of the world and could not be fooled by fake news. Mum was opinionated, feisty and determined. She encouraged us to follow our own path and wore her pride, for all our accomplishments, on her sleeve. Her philosophy, to be the best you can be in whatever career you chose, was passed on to her grandchildren, each of whom is successful in their chosen career. In 1981, Mum and Dad moved to Nanaimo, BC, where they spent their retirement, enjoying holidays in Hawaii, UK, Las Vegas and trips back to Ontario. In 2008, Mum returned to Kingston, Ontario, after Dad’s passing in 2007, to be closer to family. These past 8 years, Edie became a great-grandma, many times over, which brought her much joy. We will always treasure and share her many stories and strive to honour her by being true to ourselves and supporting each other to follow our dreams. Edie is survived by 4 children, Valerie Gray of Kingston, Susan (Warren)Everett of Kingston, Brenda (Wally) Crowder of Collingwood, Stephen Usher of Ottawa, 13 grandchildren, Peter(Natasha) Gray, David Morrison, Catherine (Stewart) Askew, Colin (Annie) Everett, Chris Everett, Graham (Shannon) Crowder, Adam (Sandy) Crowder, Alison (Brad) Bissell, Amanda (Chris) Neal, Meaghan Crowder, Jenny (Rob) Rutherford, Geoff (Shannon) Usher, Brian Usher and 17 (soon to be 18) great-grandchildren. Cremation has taken place. Donations would be gratefully accepted, in Mum’s name, in keeping with her love of all creatures, especially dogs, to the Farley Foundation, which has been established to assist needy dogs to get required surgeries. To learn more or to make a donation call 1 (888) 262-9811 or visit www.farleyfoundation.org