Helen Blanche Peacocke

5 November 1925 – 1 November 2021 Mom left this world peacefully to join her husband (our Dad) Bill who predeceased her in 1981; she loved him fiercely ‘til the end. Most important in her life were her family, her faith, her friends, followed closely by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Argos and curling (the latter in no particular order!) Mom was known by several other names: Helen, Auntie, Gramma, Nana, GG and she leaves behind: 3 children; Donna (Bob Johnson), Lee (Paul Milbury) and Doug (Karen); 6 grandchildren; Kristine, Kim, Ryan, Karyn, Gordon, Daniel and 9 great grandchildren; Ava, Josh, Lily, Lochlan, Addy, Alec, Ollie, William and Jack. Mom had this tremendous capacity for love and it also included her extended family. The Milburys, Owczars and MacDonalds were all an important part of that family; she never missed an opportunity to enquire about them and to ‘make sure you give them my love’! She remarked (more than once) how blessed she was with ‘family’ and how much she treasured her time with all of them. She was particularly thankful to those who made the trek to visit with her over the past year from England, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. This meant so much to her! She was born almost 96 years ago to Oscar and Arloa Legate in Fergus Ont. Mom was the eldest of three, her brother Ken (passed in 2015) and also leaves behind her ‘little’ sister Marian (Rosano). Her Father ( a chiropractor) moved his practice to Toronto when she was a child where she studied at Howard Park elementary school. She attended Runnymede Collegiate and maintained close relationships with several friends from school throughout her life. During the war years she worked on farms over the summer months in south western Ontario doing her ‘part’ for her country. After graduating high school she worked for the Bank of Nova Scotia and fondly remembered part of her compensation was a ‘hot lunch’ every day. Mom met Dad (on a blind date) in 1946 after he returned from overseas. They were married on April 19, 1947 (the ‘Leafs’ won the cup that night). During the early 50’s they lived on Annette St. in west Toronto with their good friends’ Albert and Doreen Ferris, and their daughter Sharon. Mom often talked about those years and her ‘live in’ baby sitter! The Peacocke’s became home owners in 1956 and in 1958 amalgamated households with Oscar and Arloa in Don Mills. In 1966 they were on the move again to a home in Scarborough. It was at that time the family began attending the Salvation Army, Scarborough Corps. Mom found ‘her place’ to practice her faith, met many, many friends there over the years and although her health precluded her from personally attending meetings recently, she never missed a Sunday talking about the ‘corps’ (A big shout out to Major Barbara Champ ... thank you!) Mom re-entered the (paid) work force in 1967 with (CBS Records) Sony Music Canada, rose through the ranks and retired as the ‘manager of payroll’ in 1991. How she managed 3 teenagers, an aging parent, Dad, a dog, work, a home and a cottage is beyond imagination, but she did it! During her first 20 years of retirement she travelled extensively with friends and valued her time with all of them. She also volunteered at the ‘Sally Ann’ during the Christmas season, canvassing in support of the ‘Red Shield’ appeal and for over 10 years at Scarborough Grace Hospital. Her favorite past time though, was just visiting with family. Mom maintained her fabulous sense of humour and left us with many lessons learned, through her words and by example. In recent years we had the privilege and exceptional opportunity of spending time with her and we are all extremely grateful for that. She was in fact, humbly content and satisfied with her life, her family, her accomplishments and summed it up this way: “Well I must have done a pretty good job, nobody’s in jail”! So we say good bye Mom, you are an extraordinary woman and you made a significant impact on all who knew and loved you. We are missing you dearly, but so very thankful for having you in our lives. Our family would like to acknowledge and thank the caring people at Stouffville Creek Retirement Residence who worked tirelessly to ensure Mom’s comfort and dignity over the past two years. We also want to recognize Dr.’s Cariascos and Grossman at North York General Hospital, who rendered palliative care to Mom with so much empathy and compassion … thank you!...and last (but not least) Dr. Michael Wyman and Lisa, who oversaw Mom’s health care for over 30 years…Mom hugged you the last time she saw you and that says all that needs to be said about how much she cared for you…thank you so much!

Helen Blanche Peacocke

November 1, 2021